Supreme Court Stays Conviction and Jail Term of Rahul Gandhi in Defamation Case, Restores Lok Sabha Membership
TFP Bureau New Delhi, Aug 04, 2023: In a significant development, the Supreme Court intervened and stayed the conviction and two-year jail term of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case. The case, filed by former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi in 2019, was based on Gandhi’s remark linking Prime Minister Narendra Modi with fugitives like Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi during an election rally in Kolar, Karnataka.
The Surat court had convicted Rahul Gandhi on March 23, leading to his disqualification as a Member of Parliament. Challenging the Gujarat High Court verdict that dismissed his plea for a stay on his conviction, Gandhi appealed to the apex court.
The three-judge bench comprising Justices B R Gavai, P S Narasimha, and P V Sanjay Kumar observed that the trial court had not provided specific reasons for imposing the maximum two-year imprisonment under the Indian Penal Code for defamation, despite it being a non-cognizable offense. The bench highlighted that the ruling’s implications were far-reaching and affected the rights of the electorate in Wayanad, the constituency that Rahul Gandhi represented as an MP in the Lok Sabha.
Given the absence of proper reasoning for the severe punishment, the top court ordered a stay on the conviction pending further proceedings. Consequently, with this order, Rahul Gandhi’s membership to the Lok Sabha from Wayanad has been restored.
This verdict marks a crucial development in the legal battle, giving relief to the Congress leader while raising important questions about the application of defamation laws in India. The decision sets a precedent for future cases involving defamation offenses and their implications on political representation.
