RANCHI: The Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday directed Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, to appear before the Chaibasa MP-MLA Court on August 6, after questioning his reluctance to attend earlier hearings in a case related to alleged derogatory remarks against the then BJP President, Amit Shah.
Rahul Gandhi had approached the Jharkhand High Court, challenging the non-bailable warrant issued by the Special MP-MLA Court in Chaibasa. In his petition, Gandhi requested the court to quash the warrant issued against him.
According to respondent’s advocate, Vinod Sahu, the court asked Rahul Gandhi’s counsel whether his ego was preventing him from appearing before the court. The counsel replied that Gandhi was unable to find a suitable date due to prior engagements.
The court then asked for a suitable date, and after consulting Rahul Gandhi’s office, the counsel proposed August 6, which was approved by the court.
“Therefore, the court has stayed the non-bailable warrant issued by the Chaibasa court till August 6 and has taken an undertaking, asking him to ensure that Rahul Gandhi will appear in person before the court on the said date,” said Advocate Vinod Sahu. Meanwhile, no coercive action will be taken against Rahul Gandhi, he added.
On May 22, 2025, the Chaibasa Court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Rahul Gandhi, directing him to appear in person on June 26. Earlier, his counsel had filed an application under Section 205 of the CrPC seeking exemption from personal appearance, but the court had rejected the plea and insisted on his presence. his petition was rejected, Gandhi moved the High Court against the lower court’s order.
Rahul Gandhi had reportedly made sharp remarks against the BJP, allegedly calling its leaders “murderers” and “liars” in his speech.
On March 18, 2018, at the AICC Plenary Sessions in New Delhi, Rahul Gandhi reportedly said, “The people of this country will never accept a lying Bhartiya Janata Party leadership drunk with power because they know what the Bhartiya Janata Party is designed for.”
He further stated, “They will accept a man accused of murder as the President of Bhartiya Janata Party, but the people will never accept the same in the Congress Party.”
Hurt by the statement made by Rahul Gandhi, BJP worker Pratap Kumar filed a complaint at the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate in Chaibasa on July 9, 2018.
The court took cognisance of the matter in February 2022 and then issued a summons against Rahul Gandhi, which was received by his office. Gandhi failed to appear, leading the court to issue a bailable warrant. After his continued absence, a non-bailable warrant was issued.
Gandhi had earlier approached the High Court against the warrant, but on March 20, 2024, the petition was disposed of. Subsequently, he applied in the Chaibasa court under CrPC Section 205 for exemption from personal appearance, but this too was rejected.
He then filed another petition in the High Court against this rejection, but later withdrew it on March 10, 2025, stating that he would file a criminal miscellaneous petition instead. As a result, the High Court lifted its interim stay order on April 25, 2024.
On May 22, 2025, the Chaibasa court once again issued a non-bailable warrant against Rahul Gandhi. He has now challenged this fresh order by filing another petition in the Jharkhand High Court.