Bombay HC Declines to Cancel Summons Issued to Rahul Gandhi in Defamation Case

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday refused to quash the summons issued to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in a 2019 defamation case concerning his remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A single-judge bench headed by Justice N. R. Borkar dismissed Gandhi’s petition challenging the magistrate court’s decision to initiate proceedings against him.

However, the High Court has continued its earlier 2021 order staying the proceedings before the magistrate for another six weeks. This gives Rahul Gandhi an opportunity to approach the Supreme Court against the order.
The case relates to remarks made by Gandhi in 2018 in connection with the Rafale fighter jet deal. His lawyers argued that the complaint was frivolous and that the proceedings should be stopped.
The High Court, however, found no legal irregularity in the magistrate’s order and declined to intervene in the matter.