The Pune court has issued a directive for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to appear in a defamation case filed by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s grandnephew, accusing Gandhi of defaming the Hindutva ideologue. This development follows a report from Pune police indicating prima facie truth in the complaint filed by Satyaki Savarkar, the petitioner.
During the recent court hearing, Rahul Gandhi was not represented by any lawyer. The detailed order specifying the next steps in the case is yet to be released. The order, issued by judicial magistrate Akshi Jain, schedules the next hearing for August 19, 2024, under the stage of “appearance.”
Advocate Sangram Kolhatkar, representing Satyaki Savarkar, stated that the judge had directed Rahul Gandhi to personally appear before the court on the mentioned date. However, it remains unclear whether Gandhi is expected to be present or can appear through legal representation.
The case stems from allegations that Rahul Gandhi defamed V D Savarkar during a speech in London in 2023. Gandhi reportedly claimed that Savarkar wrote about assaulting a Muslim man and feeling happy about it, which Satyaki Savarkar denies ever happened or being written by his granduncle.
The complaint lodged against Rahul Gandhi includes sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code related to defamation. The court had earlier tasked the Vishrambaug police station with verifying the evidence presented by Satyaki Savarkar. According to Advocate Kolhatkar, the police report submitted on Monday confirmed that no such incident was recorded in V D Savarkar’s writings, yet Rahul Gandhi made the assertion in his speech.
Sources By Agencies
