Ranchi, May 24: The MP-MLA Special Court in Chaibasa, Jharkhand, has issued a non-bailable warrant against senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in connection with a 2018 defamation case.

The court has directed Rahul Gandhi to appear in person on June 26.

The case stems from alleged derogatory remarks made by Rahul Gandhi during a Congress party event in 2018, in which he is accused of making disparaging comments about the then-BJP National President, Amit Shah.

According to the complaint filed by Pratap Katiyar, a resident of Chaibasa, Gandhi had remarked that “no murderer can become the National President in Congress. Congressmen cannot accept a murderer as the National President, this is possible only in the BJP.”

The complainant viewed this as a defamatory statement directed at Amit Shah and lodged a complaint on July 9, 2018.

In April 2022, the Chaibasa court had initially issued a bailable warrant against Rahul Gandhi after no response was received. However, when Gandhi failed to respond, the court escalated the matter and issued a non-bailable warrant in February 2024.

Gandhi’s legal team sought an exemption from personal appearance in the Chaibasa court, but the plea was rejected.

The Congress leader subsequently approached the Jharkhand High Court, which granted him interim relief and stayed the warrant for several months.

However, in March 2024, the High Court disposed of the petition, paving the way for the trial to proceed in the lower court.

Following the resumption of hearings, Gandhi’s counsel again requested exemption from personal appearance, which was once again turned down by the Chaibasa court.

A defamation case against Rahul Gandhi is also going on in the Sultanpur court. On May 17, the hearing in the case could not take place as there was a workshop for lawyers.

He had appeared in person in the Sultanpur court in July last year. This defamation case is also related to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks against Amit Shah.

--IANS

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