Guj bank defamation case: Rahul Gandhi seeks documents

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday moved a magisterial court here seeking documents of a defamation case filed against him by the Ahmedabad District Co-operative Bank.

Gandhi's counsel P S Champaneri applied to Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate N B Munshi's court seeking the documents.

The court issued notice to the bank, seeking its stand by October 11 on on Gandhi's demand for documents.

The bank and its chairman Ajay Patel had filed a defamation case after Gandhi, in one of his tweets, had allegedly insinuated a windfall for the bank in the wake of the Centre's demonetisation move in 2017.

"Congratulations Amit Shah ji, Director Ahmedabad Dist. Cooperative bank on your bank winning the first prize in conversion of old notes to new race. Rs 750 crore in 5 days! Millions of Indians whose lives were destroyed by Demonetisation, salute your achievement," Gandhi had tweeted.

BJP president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah is one of the directors of the bank.

The documents sought by Gandhi relate to the ADC Bank's complaint that the Congress leader defamed it by claiming it swapped Rs 750 crore in scrapped currency with valid notes within five days of the announcement of demonetisation on November 8, 2016.

Gandhi was granted bail in the case on July 12. He has pleaded not guilty in it and claimed trial.

Gandhi's counsel on Saturday also moved an exemption application stating that the Congress leader could not appear in court as he was out of Delhi.

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala, who too has been named by the bank in its defamation complaint, is most likely to appear in the court on the next hearing on October 11.