Ranchi Court Suspends Defamation Case Against LoP Gandhi Post SC Ruling
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Synopsis
The Ranchi court has paused legal actions against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after the Supreme Court issued a stay in a defamation case linked to derogatory comments about Union Home Minister Amit Shah, marking a notable relief for Gandhi.
Key Takeaways
- Supreme Court stays proceedings in defamation case against Rahul Gandhi.
- Ranchi court halts all actions based on SC ruling.
- Case originated from comments made in 2018 by Gandhi.
- BJP leader Naveen Jha filed the complaint.
- Further developments are pending responses from Jharkhand government and complainant.
Ranchi, Jan 20 (NationPress) In a significant development for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Ranchi court has suspended all legal proceedings against him following a Supreme Court order that stayed the case related to alleged offensive comments about Union Home Minister Amit Shah. On Monday, the Ranchi court responded swiftly to the Supreme Court’s directive.
A Bench of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta, was reviewing a Special Leave Petition (SLP) presented by Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. They issued notices to both the Jharkhand government and the complainant, Naveen Jha, a BJP leader from Ranchi, asking for their responses.
The controversy stems from remarks made by Gandhi during a 2018 Congress meeting, where he stated, "No murderer can serve as the national president in the Congress. Congress members cannot accept any murderer as their leader. This situation is only plausible in the BJP."
Seeing these comments as defamatory, Naveen Jha lodged a complaint against Gandhi in the Ranchi Civil Court.
Before filing the complaint, Jha had sent a legal notice to Gandhi, requesting an apology, which was not accepted. The court then took notice of the case.
Initially, Rahul Gandhi sought to dismiss the case in the Jharkhand High Court, but his petition was rejected in February 2024. This led him to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court’s recent ruling to stay the proceedings has momentarily alleviated the legal hurdles facing Gandhi. Further updates are expected depending on the responses from the Jharkhand government and the complainant.
In suspending the defamation case until further notice, the Bench noted, "If you are not the aggrieved party, how can a complaint be filed by proxy? Notices should be issued to the state of Jharkhand and the complainant. All trial proceedings will remain on hold until further orders."
