BENGALURU: In a relief to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday quashed the defamation case filed by the Karnataka BJP unit against him over publishing the 'corruption rate card' in major daily newspapers during the 2023 Assembly elections.
Justice Sunil Dutt Yadav pronounced the order, quashing the defamation proceedings pending against Rahul Gandhi before the Special Court for cases involving sitting and former MLAs and MPs.
Continuing the proceedings against him is an abuse of the process of law, said the judge while allowing the petition filed by Rahul Gandhi questioning the legality of the case filed against him.
The copy of the order is yet to be released.
In January 2025, the high court passed the interim order staying the proceedings pending before the Special Court against Rahul Gandhi about advertisements published during the 2023 Assembly elections campaign, accusing the BJP of corruption.
The BJP had filed the complaint against the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and Rahul Gandhi, alleging defamation through newspaper advertisements on May 5, 2023.
The ads accused the BJP of demanding up to 40 per cent commission from contractors.
The BJP, in its complaint, had said that false and reckless allegations were made in the advertisements issued by the accused persons in all the mainstream newspapers during campaigning, under the title "Corruption rate card" and making accusations of "40 per cent Commission Sarkara (government)".
Rahul Gandhi appeared before the special court on June 7, 2024, in response to a summons and was granted bail. Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar had earlier appeared and were also granted bail.