A special MP-MLA court in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Monday acquitted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case over alleged remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, ruling that the remarks were not defamatory.
Rahul Gandhi appeared before the court when it delivered the verdict, bringing the trial court proceedings in the case to a close.
The complaint was filed in 2018 by Vijay Mishra, a local BJP leader and former chairman of the Sultanpur District Cooperative Bank.
Mishra alleged that Rahul Gandhi made derogatory remarks about Shah, who was then BJP president, during a campaign rally in Bengaluru ahead of the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections.
Rahul Gandhi appeared before the court in February 2024 and secured bail on personal bonds.
The case subsequently proceeded through hearings, during which the Congress leader recorded his statement.
Following the acquittal, Congress leaders and supporters gathered outside the court and celebrated with drums and slogans.
Congress MLC Deepak Singh told reporters that the party respectfully accepted the court’s decision and said the truth had prevailed. He referred to the difficulties Gandhi had faced during the proceedings.
Before the verdict, complainant Vijay Mishra’s counsel, Santosh Kumar Pandey, had outlined the possible outcomes, including acquittal or conviction. He said the case carried a maximum punishment of two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
The court’s ruling clears Gandhi in the defamation case over the alleged remarks against Shah.
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