Rahul Gandhi moves Jharkhand HC over non-bailable warrant in Amit Shah case

Rahul Gandhi has approached the Jharkhand High Court to quash a non-bailable warrant issued for his 2018 remarks calling Amit Shah a 'murderer', which BJP worker Pratap Kumar had challenged

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has approached the Jharkhand High Court to challenge a non-bailable warrant issued against him by the MP-MLA Special Court in Chaibasa, Bar and Bench reported. The warrant pertains to his remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah. 

As reported by The Hindu, this is the second such warrant issued by the Chaibasa court, which has directed Gandhi to appear before it on June 26. The court had earlier issued a non-bailable warrant on February 27 after Gandhi failed to appear and participate in the trial proceedings. Following that, Gandhi had moved the Jharkhand High Court, which stayed the execution of the first warrant.

 

Rahul Gandhi’s controversial 2018 remarks 

Rahul Gandhi’s comments targeting the BJP during a speech at the AICC Plenary Session in New Delhi on March 18, 2018, have led to a legal faceoff. Gandhi is accused of referring to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders as “murderers” and “liars” during his address. 

Gandhi had said, “The people of this country will never accept a lying Bharatiya Janata Party leadership drunk with power because they know what the BJP is designed for.” He said, “They will accept a man accused of murder as the President of BJP, but the people will never accept the same in the Congress Party.” 

In response to these remarks, BJP worker Pratap Kumar filed a complaint in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Chaibasa on July 9, 2018.     

 

Legal trouble for Rahul Gandhi 

Following initial hearings and witness statements, the case was transferred to the Special MP-MLA Court in Ranchi in February 2020 on the orders of the Jharkhand High Court. Subsequently, the High Court directed the matter back to the MP-MLA Court in Chaibasa. 

The court took cognizance of the matter in February 2022 and issued summons to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, which his office received. In May 2022, Gandhi was granted interim protection from arrest in the case. 

In February 2025, the Jharkhand High Court rejected Gandhi’s plea to quash the criminal defamation case. The court noted that Rahul Gandhi had stated, “BJP leaders are liars who are drunk with power,” and that “BJP workers will accept a person accused of murder as their President.” 

The court held that these statements are prima facie defamatory under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code.