RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, May 12: The Jharkhand High Court will hear the petition involving former Congress national president and ex-MP Rahul Gandhi’s derogatory remarks against union home minister and former BJP national president Amit Shah on May 16.
Gandhi had filed the petition for relief after the lower court in Jharkhand capital took cognizance in the matter and sent notice to Gandhi’ who recently lost his Lok Sabha membership due to his uncontrolled tongue.
Advocate Vinod Sahu, appearing on behalf the complainant Naveen Jha who filed the complaint against Gandhi in the lower court, informed this saying that the case was expected to be heard today but hearing was deferred.
Sahu said the case involves the Rahul’s statement ‘Congress BJP Ki Tarah Hatyare Ko Party Adhyaksh Ke Roop Mein Swikar Nahi Kar Sakti’.
Gandhi, who has been sentenced for two years imprisonment by a lower court in Surat in Gujarat for defamatory statement against the Modi community during election campaign in 2019 is facing three cases of similar nature in Jharkhand also.
While one case is pending at a Chaibasa court, two cases are pending at a lower court in Ranchi. In Chaibasa, a case was filed by a BJP worker Pratap Katiyar for his defamatory statement during a party convention saying ‘Congress BJP Ki Tarah Hatyare Ko Party Adhyaksh Ke Roop Mein Swikar Nahi Kar Sakti’.
In Ranchi, two cases are filed. One case has been filed by advocate Pradeep Modi for Rahul’s defamatory statement saying ‘Sare Modi Chor’ and another is filed by a BJP worker Naveen Jha for the same defamatory statement for which the case was filed in Chaibasa.
In Chaibasa case, a summons was issued against Rahul but the same has not been executed as the Jharkhand High Court has directed for ‘no coercive action’ passing an order in Rahul’s petition demanding quashing of cognizance taken against him in that matter. The petition of Rahul is pending in the high court for final disposal.
In Ranchi’s case filed by Jha, the court summoned Rahul but like Chaibasa’s case its proceedings are pending following another Jharkhand High Court order directing for ‘no coercive action’. The order was passed after Rahul filed a petition demanding quashing of cognizance taken against him in Naveen’s matter. In this matter hearing is on May 16.
In another Ranchi case filed by Modi, a trial is going on and the case is at evidence stage. Rahul attempted to stop proceedings in the matter by filing a petition before the court but the court did not interfere and dismissed Rahul’s petition demanding quashing of cognizance. Following the development, Rahul attempted exemption from personal appearance by the lower court foiled his attempt and directed him to appear on May 22 in the same case.
