Defamation Case: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has suffered a major setback in the defamation case concerning the Modi surname, as the Gujarat High Court has rejected his reconsideration petition.
The court has deemed the trial court's conviction order appropriate, stating that there is no reason to intervene in the said order.
Consequently, the court has dismissed Rahul Gandhi's application.
Additionally, the court has highlighted that Rahul Gandhi currently faces at least 10 pending criminal cases.
Following the Gujarat High Court's ruling, Rahul Gandhi's aspirations to participate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections have been dashed, and he is unable to seek the revocation of his suspended status as a Member of Parliament (MP).
However, he can appeal to the Supreme Court against the order of the High Court.
Notably, Rahul Gandhi's membership in the Lok Sabha has already been suspended.
During the previous hearing of Rahul Gandhi's petition, the High Court declined to provide any interim relief and indicated that the final order would be delivered subsequent to the summer vacation.
Prior to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, on April 13, Rahul Gandhi, a prominent leader of the Congress party, made a remark pertaining to the 'Modi surname'.
Subsequently, on March 23, the Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Surat, Gujarat, found Rahul Gandhi guilty under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which pertain to criminal defamation.
The case had been filed against him by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi. As a result of the conviction, Rahul Gandhi has been sentenced to two years of imprisonment.
Following his conviction on March 23, Rahul Gandhi's membership was terminated on March 24. On March 25, despite the opportunity to apologize, he chose not to do so.
Consequently, he received a notice on March 27 to vacate the government bungalow. On April 22, Rahul Gandhi complied with the notice and relinquished the bungalow.
In an attempt to challenge the Surat Sessions Court's decision, Rahul Gandhi filed a petition with the Gujarat High Court, but his plea was unsuccessful. Subsequently, an appeal was made to the High Court, requesting reconsideration of its decision.