Bengaluru court grants bail to Rahul Gandhi in defamation case: Details

The City Civil Court in Bengaluru granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in connection with the Karnataka defamation case filed against him by the state Bharatiya Janata Party unit

The City Civil Court in Bengaluru on Friday granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in connection with the Karnataka defamation case filed against him by the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit. The matter has been posted to July 30 for the next hearing.

A case was filed against Rahul Gandhi by the BJP’s Karnataka unit for issuing ‘defamatory’ advertisements in mainstream newspapers.

What is the defamation case filed against Rahul Gandhi?

The case involves Rahul Gandhi facing allegations of defamation filed by the Karnataka BJP unit. The BJP alleged that the Congress party orchestrated a smear campaign, termed ‘PayCM’, which involved the release of a ‘rate card’ detailing alleged bribes necessary for securing government positions before the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections.

Rahul Gandhi’s retweeting of his party’s messages during the election buildup is cited as evidence in the case.

The complaint further said the Congress engaged in propaganda by publishing full-page advertisements accusing the previous BJP government in the state of charging a 40 per cent commission for providing government projects. The BJP said Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar had made false allegations to misguide the people of the state and should face action under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code.

The complaint read, “The advertisement showed the images of accused D K Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah seeking votes for the Congress. The complainant said that this shows that both the accused were directly responsible for all the false statements in the advertisement,” the complaint read.
 

The court has asked Rahul Gandhi to appear before it on June 7 in connection with a defamation case.

Who filed the defamation case against Rahul Gandhi?

Keshav Prasad, a BJP MLC and general secretary, filed the defamation complaint against several entities, including the Congress state unit, its president D K Shivakumar, former Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, and Rahul Gandhi.

What are the recent developments in the Rahul Gandhi defamation case?

On June 1, special court judge KN Shivakumar granted bail to D K Shivakumar and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who appeared in person and requested exemption from further attendance.

Why is Rahul Gandhi appearing before the court on June 7?

As the fourth accused in the case, Rahul Gandhi failed to attend the June 1 hearing, prompting the court's dissatisfaction with his absence. Following this, the judge scheduled June 7 for Rahul Gandhi’s mandatory appearance before the court.

(With agency inputs)