Jharkhand High Court Orders Rahul Gandhi to Appear in Defamation Case

Court Directs Rahul Gandhi to Attend Hearing

On Monday, the Jharkhand High Court mandated that senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi personally appear before the MP-MLA court in Chaibasa on August 6, in connection with alleged derogatory remarks made against Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha approached the high court on June 2, challenging a special court's directive that required him to appear in court on June 26.

Gandhi's attorney informed the high court that his client would be unable to attend on June 26 and requested a rescheduled date of August 6, which the court granted.

The case stems from a defamation lawsuit filed by Pratap Kumar, who alleged that Gandhi made offensive statements against BJP leaders during a public address in Chaibasa in 2018.

In his petition, Rahul Gandhi stated that he had filed a request for exemption from personal appearance in the Chaibasa court, which is currently pending in the high court.

The lower court was also informed that the request for exemption was still under consideration by the high court; however, it did not provide any relief to Gandhi and ordered him to appear in person.

Rahul Gandhi is facing criminal prosecution in this matter, with accusations that he allegedly made defamatory statements with the intent to tarnish Amit Shah's reputation.