Complainant tried to thwart Rahul Gandhi’s right to speedy trial in defamation case: Bombay HC
The case against the Congress leader was filed by a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh member for his remarks against the Hindutva organisation in 2014.
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The complainant in a 2014 defamation case against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi left “no stone unturned to thwart” the Opposition leader’s legitimate right to a speedy trial, the Bombay High Court said in an order passed on July 12, reported Live Law on Tuesday.
The complainant in the case Rajesh Kunte is a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which is the parent organisation of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The case against Rahul Gandhi pertains to him allegedly accusing the Hindutva organisation of being behind the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
Kunte, in his defamation complaint, alleged that Rahul Gandhi tarnished the reputation of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
Rahul Gandhi had made the remarks while addressing an election rally on March 6, 2014, in Thane district of Maharashtra.
Kunte’s defamation complaint was filed before the Bhiwandi Magistrate Court. The lower court had then summoned Rahul Gandhi. However, the Lok Sabha MP moved the High Court challenging the summons.
In his plea in the High Court, Rahul Gandhi had attached the transcript of his 2014 speech. Kunte had then relied on this transcript submitted by the politician to argue before the magistrate that by annexing the speech copy to the petition, Rahul Gandhi has unambiguously accepted the speech and its contents.
However, this argument was rejected by the...
