Chaibasa – In a significant legal development, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday appeared before a special MP-MLA court in Chaibasa, Jharkhand, in connection with a long-pending criminal defamation case related to a controversial statement he made against Amit Shah back in 2018.
The case stems from a fiery Congress event speech, where Gandhi reportedly said,
“A murderer can never become the national president of Congress. Congress members can never accept a murderer at the top — that’s only possible in the BJP.”
This comment, allegedly aimed at then BJP president Amit Shah, triggered a complaint from local BJP leader Pratap Katiyar, who filed a criminal defamation case on July 9, 2018.
Despite several summonses, the case dragged on for years. A bailable warrant was issued in April 2022, followed by a non-bailable warrant in February 2024 due to Gandhi’s non-appearance. His plea for exemption was denied by the court. Though the Jharkhand High Court gave him temporary relief, it cleared the path for legal proceedings again in March 2024, leading to another non-bailable warrant on May 22, 2025.
On Wednesday, Gandhi appeared in person before Judge Supriya Rani Tigga. Following arguments from his lawyers Pradeep Chandra and Dipankar Roy, the court granted him bail, on the condition of full cooperation during the trial.
The case will now proceed to the trial stage, potentially setting the stage for a high-profile courtroom battle.
With inputs from IANS