Pune Court Orders Rahul Gandhi to Appear in Defamation Case on December 2
Pune: A Pune court has directed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to appear in person before it on December 2 in connection with a defamation complaint filed against him by the grandnephew of Hindutva icon, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The complaint, filed by Satyaki Savarkar, alleges that Gandhi made defamatory remarks about Savarkar during a speech in London in March 2023.
According to the complaint, Gandhi claimed that Savarkar had written in a book that he and several of his friends once beat up a Muslim man, an act which Savarkar supposedly felt pleased about. Satyaki Savarkar’s plea contends that no such statement exists in any of Savarkar’s writings.
The court had earlier instructed the police to investigate the allegations, which led to an enquiry by the Vishrambaug police station. The police report indicated that there was prima facie truth in the complaint.
On October 4, a special court for MP/MLA cases, led by Joint Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Amol Shinde, issued a summons for Gandhi to appear before the court on October 23. However, Gandhi did not attend the hearing, as his legal team claimed that the summons had not been received.
In response, Advocate Sangram Kolhatkar, representing Satyaki Savarkar, approached the court on Monday, requesting the issuance of fresh summons for Gandhi to appear. Advocate Milind Pawar, representing Gandhi, informed the court that the Congress leader would appear at the next hearing.
However, an objection was raised by Savarkar’s legal team, as the court had not received a vakalatnama (a document appointing a lawyer) or pursis (a notice of appearance) from Advocate Jadhav, who was representing Gandhi. In response, the court issued a firm order for Gandhi to appear before it on December 2.
The ongoing defamation case has sparked significant political attention, with both sides preparing for the next stage of proceedings.
