Rahul Gandhi Granted Bail In 2018 Defamation Case

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, currently leading his party's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Uttar Pradesh, was granted bail by a special court in Uttar Pradesh's Sultanpur on Tuesday regarding a defamation case. Rahul Gandhi was granted bail on a surety of Rs 25,000 and a personal bond of the same amount. He pleaded innocence in court, and denied any wrongdoing.

The case stems from Gandhi's alleged statement in 2018, where he reportedly referred to Union Minister Amit Shah as a murderer during a speech.

Earlier, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh announced a temporary pause in the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. The yatra will halt on Tuesday morning and resume at 2:00 pm the same day.

Taking to X, Ramesh wrote,''Today is the 38th day of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra which will commence at 2 pm from Fursantganj in Amethi district and move towards Raebareli and Lucknow. This morning Rahul Gandhi will be at the District Civil Court in Sultanpur that had issued a summons to him 36 hours earlier to appear before it on a defamation case filed by a BJP leader in August 2018. Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will not be derailed. Rahul Gandhi will not be silenced. The Indian National Congress will not be intimidated.''

The defamation case was initiated based on Gandhi's speech during the Bengaluru elections in 2018, where he allegedly made accusations against Amit Shah. The complaint was filed by the then BJP district vice president, Vijay Mishra.

In a statement to news agency ANI, Vijay Mishra expressed his distress over Gandhi's remarks, claiming he had been working for the BJP for 33 years and found the accusations deeply troubling. He filed a complaint through his lawyer, leading to the legal proceedings that have spanned nearly five years.

The case was filed before the district and sessions MP/MLAs court in Sultanpur on August 4, 2018. Mishra's lawyer also informed ANI that Rahul Gandhi could face a maximum sentence of two years if sufficient evidence is presented against him.