Gujarat High Court begins hearing Rahul Gandhi's plea in defamation case

Ahmedabad, April 29 The Gujarat High Court on Saturday began hearing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s appeal challenging the order of the Surat sessions court declining a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his “Modi surname” remark....

PTI

Updated At : 02:16 PM Apr 29, 2023 IST

Ahmedabad, April 29

The Gujarat High Court on Saturday began hearing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s appeal challenging the order of the Surat sessions court declining a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his “Modi surname” remark.

Gandhi’s appeal is being heard by Justice Hemant Prachchhak.

On April 26, when Gandhi’s lawyer PS Champaneri mentioned the case before Justice Gita Gopi, she recused herself from the hearing. The development came a day after Gandhi moved the HC.

A metropolitan magistrate’s court in Surat on March 23 sentenced the former Congress president to two years in jail after convicting him under Indian Penal Code sections 499 and 500 (criminal defamation) in a 2019 case filed by BJP Gujarat MLA Purnesh Modi.