Sultanpur (UP): A special MP/MLA court in Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur on Monday acquitted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a 2018 criminal defamation case filed over his remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The court found no evidence to hold Gandhi guilty and dismissed the complaint. Gandhi was present in court when Special Magistrate Shubham Verma pronounced the verdict.
His supporters welcomed the acquittal and celebrated outside the court premises.
Complaint Traced To Karnataka Rally
The case was filed on August 4, 2018, by BJP leader Vijay Mishra, a former chairman of the Sultanpur District Cooperative Bank. He alleged that Gandhi defamed Shah, then the BJP president, during a campaign rally in Bengaluru ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections.
Gandhi’s lawyers admitted that he had made the remarks but argued that they were made in good faith, without any intention to insult anyone, and had been distorted or taken out of context, as reported by India Today.
Mishra’s lawyer sought Gandhi’s conviction, saying his admission that he made the remarks was sufficient to establish guilt.
After hearing both sides, the court reserved its order and later acquitted Gandhi.
Case Dragged On For Eight Years
The proceedings continued for several years. Gandhi surrendered before the court on February 20, 2024, and was granted bail. His statement was recorded on July 26, 2024, after which the complainant and other witnesses were examined.
In March 2026, an application was filed seeking a voice-sample comparison. The trial court rejected it in May, and the district court and Allahabad High Court dismissed later challenges in July and September respectively.
Final arguments began on October 6 and concluded on October 12. The verdict was initially listed for October 13 but was later fixed for October 26.
Senior advocate R S Cheema, along with advocates Kashi Shukla, Tarannum Cheema, Prasanna S and Akash Singh, represented Gandhi, PTI reported.
The Congress welcomed the verdict, saying, “Truth alone triumphs.”
Ahead of the judgment, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Aradhana Mishra ‘Mona’ had told PTI Videos, “We have complete faith in the judiciary. Rahul Gandhi ji is going to Sultanpur for that case only.”