Rahul Gandhi to appear at Gujarat courts in two more criminal defamation cases

Although being declared ‘non guilty’ in defamation case filed for alleged remarks ‘why do all thieves share the Modi surname against PM Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is likely to appear before different magistrate’s courts on Friday in connection with two criminal defamation suits filed.

One of the case has been filed for Gandhi calling MHA Amit Shah a murder accused. The other case is about his claim that the Ahmedabad District Cooperative (ADC) Bank, of which Shah is a director, was involved in a scam of swapping demonetised notes worth Rs 750 crore with valid currency within five days of demonetisation in 2016.

The suit has been filed by the ADC Bank and its chairman Ajay Patel. In July, the Congress leader had appeared before a magistrate’s court here in connection with the defamation suit filed by the ADC Bank and was pleaded not guilty.

Earlier in May, another metropolitan magistrate had issued summons seeking Gandhi’s appearance in defamation suit filed by BJP corporator Krishnavadan Brahmbhatt for calling Shah a murder accused at an election rally in Jabalpur. “Gandhi’s jibe was slanderous as Shah was acquitted in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh fake encounter case in 2015”, the complainant said.

On Thursday, Gandhi appeared before a court in Surat in another defamation case, and pleaded not guilty. This case is over his remark ‘why do all thieves share the Modi surname’, he made during a poll rally.