New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was on Monday granted bail by a sessions court in Surat in Gujarat in a defamation case. Rahul Gandhi was sentenced to two years in jail by a trial court for his 2019 remarks referring to ‘Modi surname’.
The court of Additional Sessions Judge R P Mogera said it will hear Gandhi’s plea for suspension of conviction on April 13 after issuing notice to the complainant in the case — Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi.
The sessions court asked the respondent (Purnesh Modi) to file his reply by April 10.
The court has granted bail to Rahul Gandhi and has stayed the sentence for the time being.
The court will hear the matter on April 13. Along with this, the Congress leader has also challenged his sentence, which will be heard on May 3.
Meanwhile, 11 days after the sentence was pronounced in this case, Rahul Gandhi has filed a petition in the Sessions Court.
Rahul Gandhi, who was recently disqualified as an MP following a Gujarat court order, had arrived in Surat along with his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and chief ministers of three Congress-ruled states — Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel and Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu. Before appearing in court, Rahul Gandhi also met his mother Sonia Gandhi.
Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday claimed that the Congress was trying to put “undue pressure” on the judiciary. He questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s plan to accompany party leaders when he goes to appear before a court in Surat.