Defamation case against Rahul Gandhi: Hearing adjourned to August 5 as presiding judge away on training

Sultanpur: Hearing in a 2018 defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was on Saturday adjourned to August 5 as the presiding judge of the MP-MLA court was away on training, his counsel said.

Gandhi's counsel Kashi Prasad Shukla said the matter was listed for arguments after the case records were to be returned following dismissal of a revision petition related to Gandhi's voice sample.

On July 15, an additional district judge had dismissed BJP leader Vijay Mishra's revision petition seeking forensic examination of Gandhi's alleged voice in a CD placed on record by matching it with his voice sample.

The court held that the application had been filed after an inordinate delay and lacked merit, observing that the trial court had exercised its discretion properly. Complainant's counsel Santosh Kumar Pandey had then said the order would be challenged before the Allahabad High Court.

The defamation complaint relates to remarks allegedly made by Gandhi against Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the 2018 Karnataka assembly election campaign. Mishra filed the complaint before the Sultanpur MP-MLA court, claiming the remarks were defamatory.

Gandhi first appeared before the court in the case on February 20, 2024, after a warrant was issued, and was granted bail. He last appeared before the court on February 20 this year to present his defence.