National desk, 7 July: Speculations over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reclaiming the post of MP have finally come to an end. The Gujarat High Court has dismissed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s plea in a defamation case related to ‘Modi surname’.
The verdict was passed by Justice Hemant Prachak of the Gujarat High Court. Along with this, the congress leader’s chances of contesting the election and getting an MP’s post have also faded. It may be recalled that in May, Justice Prachak, while hearing Gandhi’s plea, refused to grant interim relief and said the final order would be passed after the already concluded summer vacation. The petition has sought a stay on the sentence issued against Rahul Gandhi.
Meanwhile, the Jharkhand High Court on July 4 ordered that no punitive action be taken against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the ‘Modi surname’ defamation case. The next hearing in this regard is expected on August 16.
Earlier in May this year, the Gujarat High Court had moved a plea seeking a stay on the conviction of Rahul Gandhi, convicted in the 2019 ‘Modi surname’ defamation case. The court refused to grant any interim relief to Rahul Gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi had on April 25 challenged the Gujarat High Court order of surat sessions court in Gujarat. On March 23, a city magistrate’s court in Surat convicted the former Congress president in a criminal defamation case under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced him to two years in the case filed by Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Purnesh Modi in 2019. Gandhi approached the high court challenging the order.