Rahul Gandhi gets relief: Sultanpur Court acquits him in Amit Shah defamation case
PTC Web Desk: A special MP/MLA court in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, cleared Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday in a 2018 criminal defamation case. The case was linked to his comments about Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The court said there was not enough evidence to hold him guilty.
Rahul Gandhi was present in court when the judgment was read out. Congress supporters gathered outside and welcomed the decision.
What the case was about
BJP leader Vijay Mishra, who lives in Hanumanganj in Sultanpur and once headed the Sultanpur District Cooperative Bank, filed the complaint on August 4, 2018. It was based on a speech Rahul Gandhi gave at an election rally in Bengaluru before the 2018 Karnataka Assembly polls. Amit Shah was the BJP president at the time.
Arguments from both sides
During the final hearings, Rahul Gandhi’s lawyer accepted that the speech was made by him. He said, however, that the words were spoken in good faith and were never meant to insult anyone. The defence also claimed the remarks had been twisted and quoted out of context.
The complainant’s lawyer asked the court to convict Rahul Gandhi, saying his own admission of the remarks was enough to prove guilt.
The court heard both sides and kept the verdict reserved until Monday, when Special Magistrate Shubham Verma announced the acquittal.
Eight years, many hearings
February 20, 2024: Rahul Gandhi surrendered before the court and got bail.
July 26, 2024: His statement was recorded. The complainant and other witnesses were also examined.
March 2026: An application was filed asking for a match of Rahul Gandhi’s voice sample. The trial court turned it down in May. The district court dismissed the challenge in July and the Allahabad High Court did the same in September.
October 6 to 12, 2026: Final arguments were heard. The verdict was first planned for October 13, then moved to October 26.
Vehicles in Gandhi’s convoy collide
Earlier in the day, some vehicles in Rahul Gandhi’s convoy crashed into each other on the Purvanchal Expressway while he was travelling from Lucknow to Sultanpur. The accident happened around 10:15 am near the 89.5 km mark, under Haliyapur police station limits.
A police officer said a private car carrying local Congress leaders, driving at the front, braked suddenly for an unknown reason. The vehicles behind it then hit one another. Rahul Gandhi’s own car was not involved and he was safe. The convoy, which had a police escort, soon continued on to Sultanpur.
Also Read | Rahul Gandhi's convoy vehicles collide with ambulance while on way to UP court hearing; Congress MP's car unaffected
- PTC NEWS
