LAGATAR24 NETWORK
Ranchi, May 19: Former national president of Congress party Rahul Gandhi knocked the Jharkhand High Court door challenging the lower court order directing him to remain physically present on May 22 during hearing of defamation against him.
He has filed a petition through his lawyer Piyush Chitresh and Dipankar Rai.
On May 3, Gandhi’s petition for exemption from personal appearance in the ‘Modi surname’ case was denied by an MP-MLA court in the Jharkhand’s capital.
Pradeep Modi, a city resident, filed the defamation suit after Gandhi asked during a meeting why everyone with the surname Modi was a thief.
The MP-MLA court of Anamika Kisku passed the order mentioning that Gandhi has not assigned any special circumstance for his exemption from physical appearance while he keeps on moving around the country for party work and other cases.
The court in its dismissal order mentioned that law is equal for all and thus it is expected from Gandhi to remain physically president during trial.
A lower court in Gujarat had already convicted and sentenced Gandhi in a similar case. The conviction cost his parliamentary seat and government house.