Nashik court disposes of defamation case against Rahul Gandhi

Nashik: The court of additional chief judicial magistrate Rupali Narwadiya has disposed of the defamation case filed against leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.The case was initiated by Devendra Bhutada, president of the Nashik-based Nirbhaya Foundation, who alleged that Gandhi made defamatory remarks about Hindutva ideologue and freedom fighter VD Savarkar during ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra' rallies held in Hingoli and Akole on June 15 and 16, 2022. Bhutada approached the court shortly after learning of the comments.Following the complaint, a case was registered under sections 499 (defamation) and 504 (intentional insult) of IPC, and the court issued summons to Gandhi in Sept 2024. Last July, the additional chief judicial magistrate granted Gandhi bail, allowing him to attend hearings virtually, during which he pleaded not guilty.Defence lawyer Gajendra Sanap said the court had ordered an inquiry under Section 202 of the CrPC, and after police submitted their investigation report, the complainant sought to withdraw the case. Mohan Pingale, representing Bhutada, said the withdrawal application was filed because Bhutada's daughter had recently moved abroad, making it difficult for him to attend frequent hearings. He said the four-year-old case had led to summons and warrants against Gandhi, requiring him to secure bail and participate in virtual proceedings.Pingale said the Supreme Court mandated priority handling of cases involving MPs and MLAs. "In view of the circumstances, we applied to withdraw the case, and the court accepted the request, thereby disposing of the matter," he said.