Ranchi — The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday granted temporary relief to Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, in a criminal defamation case concerning his alleged derogatory remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Justice Anil Kumar Choudhary, presiding over a single-judge bench, quashed the Chaibasa MP-MLA court’s order that had taken cognisance of the case and issued summons to Gandhi.
The High Court further remanded the case back to the lower court for fresh consideration, noting that the magistrate appeared to have been influenced by directions from the Sessions Court while taking cognisance.
The case originates from a 2018 Congress event, where Rahul Gandhi allegedly referred to then BJP national president Amit Shah as a “murderer.” This statement led BJP leader Pratap Katiyar of Chaibasa to file a criminal defamation complaint.
The Chaibasa MP-MLA court first issued a bailable warrant against Gandhi in April 2022, followed by a non-bailable warrant in February 2024. His plea for exemption from personal appearance under Section 205 of the CrPC was rejected, prompting him to move the High Court.
Although the HC had provided him temporary relief in March 2024, the Chaibasa court again issued a non-bailable warrant in May 2025. Gandhi appeared before the court on August 6, 2025, and was granted conditional bail.
Subsequently, Gandhi challenged the cognisance order again, contending that the lower court had failed to exercise independent judicial reasoning. The High Court accepted this argument and directed the lower court to reconsider the matter in accordance with law.
With inputs from IANS