Sultanpur (UP), Jan 22: The proceedings in the defamation lawsuit against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi have been postponed once more due to an ongoing strike by lawyers.
Plaintiff Vijay Mishra’s attorney, Santosh Kumar Pandey, stated that the special MP-MLA judge, Shubham Verma, has scheduled January 30 as the new date for the hearing to finalize cross-examination in the case.
Mishra, a local BJP politician, filed the defamation suit against Gandhi in 2018, alleging that the Congress leader made a derogatory remark about BJP leader Amit Shah during the Karnataka elections, which he claimed was deeply hurtful to him.
After five years of pending proceedings, a warrant was issued by the court in December 2023 when Gandhi failed to appear for a hearing.
Gandhi surrendered in court in February 2024, and his statement was officially recorded on July 26, 2024. The special magistrate then granted him bail against two sureties of Rs 25,000 each.
During his court appearance, Gandhi asserted his innocence, alleging a political conspiracy was at play against him. The court instructed the plaintiff to present evidence.
Although a hearing was initially planned for December 16, 2024, it was postponed due to the judge’s absence. On January 2, 2025, with the cross-examination still incomplete, the court set a new date for January 10, 2025. However, this was also rescheduled to January 22, 2025, due to the ongoing lawyers’ strike. (PTI)
