MUMBAI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday got a relief from a Nashik court in connection with a defamation case related to his remarks against Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in 2022. Additional chief judicial magistrate (ACJM) R C Narwadia disposed of criminal proceedings against Gandhi because the complainant withdrew his complaint.
ACJM Narwadia had initially ordered the issuance of the process. Against that order, a criminal review application was filed by Gandhi’s lawyers in the Nashik sessions court. After hearing the review application, the sessions court magistrate partially allowed the review application and quashed the order to issue the process.
The magistrate also directed the ACJM to reconsider the matter of issuing the process in the original criminal application. In the newly initiated action by ACJM, Sarkarwada police station placed a report before the court under Section 202 of the CrPC. The complainant then withdrew his complaint willingly, and the ACJM disposed of the case.
Senior advocate Jayant Jaibhave said, “Since there is no legal basis or facts in this case, the complainant may have withdrawn the complaint after the Honourable Court had already given its verdict in the review petition. After that, no truth was found to conduct any further investigation.”
Gandhi, during his Bharat Jodo Yatra, had made a statement that Savarkar had
apologised to the British. Savarkar supporters had filed cases against Gandhi in different parts of the country. One such case was filed against Gandhi in Nashik by the Nirbhaya Foundation.
The Leader of Opposition had to appear in court twice for the hearing of this case.