Rahul Gandhi Misses Ranchi Court Summons Over Alleged Remarks on Amit Shah

Ranchi, 12th June 2024: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi did not comply with a summons from Ranchi’s special judicial magistrate MP MLA court, which pertained to his alleged derogatory remarks about then-BJP President Amit Shah during a 2018 program.

The court had previously instructed Gandhi to appear on June 11 for a defamation case initiated by BJP worker Navin Jha in 2018. After Gandhi missed this summons, the court-mandated on Tuesday that he attend a hearing on July 6.

Navin Jha’s case alleges that Gandhi made offensive comments about the then-BJP national president, accusing the BJP of being the only party capable of appointing a “murderer” as its national leader.

Vinod Shahu, Jha’s counsel, told India Today that a service certificate was not presented in court. Consequently, the MP MLA court postponed the hearing and ordered Gandhi to appear by July 6. Shahu indicated that if Gandhi fails to comply again, the court might issue new directives.

In a related defamation case in Chaibasa concerning the same remarks, Gandhi remains on bail. The Jharkhand High Court granted him relief by pausing the lower court proceedings and prohibiting any coercive action against him.