Rahul Gandhi Granted Bail After Appearing in Chaibasa Court in Amit Shah Defamation Case

Chaibasa — Congress leader and Lok Sabha’s Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, appeared before the MP-MLA Special Court in Chaibasa, Jharkhand, on Wednesday in connection with a criminal defamation case linked to remarks he made against former BJP president Amit Shah.

The court granted conditional bail, requiring Gandhi to cooperate fully with the ongoing trial.

Gandhi appeared personally before Judicial Magistrate Supriya Rani Tigga. The court’s relief followed submissions made by his legal team, which included senior lawyers Pradeep Chandra and Dipankar Roy.

The case stems from a 2018 Congress event, during which Gandhi allegedly referred to Amit Shah as a “murderer”. His statement was:

“No murderer can become the national president in Congress... Congressmen can’t accept a murderer as national president; this is possible only in the BJP.”

Offended by the remark, local BJP leader Pratap Katiyar filed the defamation complaint on July 9, 2018.

The matter had been pending for years, with the court first issuing a bailable warrant in April 2022, then a non-bailable warrant in February 2024 after Gandhi failed to appear.

Gandhi’s request for exemption from appearance under Section 205 CrPC was denied by the Chaibasa court. Though he got temporary relief from the Jharkhand High Court, the case resumed after the petition was disposed in March 2024, followed by another non-bailable warrant on May 22, 2025.

Gandhi appeared in person on Wednesday and was granted bail. The case now moves to the trial phase.

With inputs from IANS