Rahul Gandhi gets bail in RSS defamation case, next hearing on Jan 28

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday was granted bail by Maharashtra's Bhiwandi court in connection with criminal defamation case filed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

The bail has been granted on the basis of personal surety and the next date of hearing has been fixed for January 28.

A local RSS functionary, Rajesh Kunte, had filed the case against Gandhi for claiming at an election rally on March 6, 2014 that the right wing organisation had killed Mahatma Gandhi.

Though the Supreme Court has stayed the proceedings against him, Gandhi appeared before magistrate D.P. Kale in Bhiwandi on July 8 last year.

Gandhi had in September withdrawn his petition filed in the apex court, challenging the case and said he would face the trial.

He expressed his readiness to face the trial after the top court refused to interfere with the criminal proceedings pending against him before the trial court.

He moved the apex court challenging the order of the Bombay high court refusing to quash the defamation case and summons issued to him by the trial court.

After the withdrawal of the case, the court had summoned Gandhi for further proceedings.