The Gujarat High Court declined to stay Rahul Gandhi’s conviction and two-year prison sentence in a criminal defamation case, causing him a significant setback in Parliament. The court upheld the Surat court’s decision, stating that there were ten more defamation cases against Gandhi. The court refused to grant interim relief and ruled that the verdict was righteous, proper, and legitimate.
The Gujarat High Court disregarded Rahul Gandhi’s appeal contrary to his charge in a defamation case
The High Court refused to grant the conviction’s stay of execution and upheld the Surat court’s decision.
Rahul Gandhi lost his Parliamentary membership
Rahul Gandhi suffered an enormous blow when the Gujarat High Court rejected to lift the verdict and two-year jail term in a criminal defamation case. His loss of membership in the Parliament because of this decision is a significant setback for him.
Gandhi’s reinstatement as a Member of Parliament (MP) would have been made possible by granting a stay of prosecution.
“There are ten more defamation cases against Mr. Gandhi,” Gujarat HC
The Gujarat High Court has stated that “there are an additional ten unconstitutional slander grievances against Gandhi.” The order made by the sessions court, according to the court, “did not call for any further intervention in the situation.”
The Gujarat HC’s Comment
“Gandhi is requesting a halt of execution through completely fabricated justifications. Remaining steadfast is not required. Up to 10 cases are still pending against (Gandhi),” the Gujarat HC quoted.
“Pureness is necessary in politics. The grandson of Veer Savarkar submitted a lawsuit against Gandhi in Pune Court after Gandhi disparaged Veer Savarkar at Cambridge.”
“There are no justifiable reasons to overturn the conviction. The verdict is righteous, proper, and legitimate,” it continued.
Court refused to give any interim relief to Mr. Gandhi in May
When Justice Prachchhak heard Gandhi’s appeal in May, he refused to grant any temporary relief, saying that the court would issue a final decision after the summer break, which just ended three weeks ago.
Gandhi’s attorney’s argument at a hearing on April 29
Gandhi’s attorney had argued at a hearing on April 29 that a maximum sentence of two years for a bailable, non-cognizable crime meant that his client could lose his Lok Sabha seat “permanently and irreversibly,” which would have “very severe additional permanent repercussions to the person and the constituency he represents.”
The former Congress president proved guilty
On March 23, the former Congress president proved guilty of violating Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500 (criminal defamation) in a case brought by Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Purnesh Modi from 2019. The former Congress president received a sentence of two years in prison. Gandhi got kicked out from serving as a Member of Parliament (MP) under the Representation of the People Act because of this decision.
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