Guj court allows Rahul Gandhi to skip hearing in defamation case

A court hearing a criminal defamation case against Rahul Gandhi over his statement against Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday allowed the Congress leader to remain absent for the day.

The magistrate's court here last month had issued a summons to Gandhi, asking him to remain present on Friday to defend himself.

Local BJP corporator Krishnavadan Brahmbhatt has filed a criminal defamation suit against Gandhi.

On Friday, his lawyers submitted an exemption application, saying Gandhi could not come as he was to attend some crucial party meetings, including that of the Congress Working Committee, in Delhi on Friday and Saturday.

Brahmbhatt's lawyers opposed the plea.

But Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate R B Italiya granted the request, saying that it was only the first hearing.

The judge ordered Gandhi to remain present on October 11.

Brahmbhatt has alleged that at an election rally in Jabalpur on April 23, Gandhi said, "murder-accused BJP chief Amit Shah, wah, kya shaan hai (how glorious)!".

This was slanderous as Shah was acquitted in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh fake encounter case in 2015, the complainant said.