Rahul Gandhi Gets Temporary Relief in Defamation Case Over Amit Shah Remark

Ranchi — The Jharkhand High Court has granted temporary reprieve to Congress leader and Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case arising from his alleged remarks against Home Minister Amit Shah.

Justice Anil Kumar Choudhary of the High Court set aside the Chaibasa MP-MLA court’s order that took cognisance of the case and issued summons to Gandhi. The High Court observed that the lower court seemed to have acted under influence of the Sessions Court’s directions rather than exercising independent judgment.

The case dates back to 2018, when during a Congress event, Gandhi allegedly called Amit Shah a “murderer,” prompting BJP’s Pratap Katiyar to file a complaint in Chaibasa.

In April 2022, the lower court issued a bailable warrant, later followed by a non-bailable warrant in February 2024. Gandhi’s request for exemption from personal appearance was denied, after which he approached the High Court and obtained temporary protection in March 2024.

However, the Chaibasa court issued another non-bailable warrant in May 2025, compelling Gandhi to appear before it on August 6, 2025, where he received conditional bail.

Gandhi later contested the court’s cognisance order again, arguing that the magistrate had not applied independent judicial reasoning. The High Court upheld his argument and directed the Chaibasa court to reconsider the case as per legal procedure.

With inputs from IANS