Rahul Gandhi's statement recorded in Amit Shah defamation case; next hearing on August 12

A Uttar Pradesh Court on Friday recorded the statement of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in connection with a defamation case filed against him for allegedly making objectionable remarks about Union Home Minister Amit Shah, after granting him bail earlier in the said case.

The next hearing has been scheduled for August 12, where evidence will be filed by complainant.

"He (Rahul Gandhi) denied the allegations and said that he is being framed for political reasons and to malign his image. He answered the questions asked by the court. He recorded his statement. Now, we have to produce evidence on August 12, 2024," said Advocate Santosh Kumar Pandey, the Complainant's lawyer.


The case was registered based on a complaint lodged by BJP leader Vijay Mishra in 2018. Pandey had said that the Leader of Opposition on May 8, 2018, used defaming words against Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Bengaluru.

On August 4, 2018, the case was filed in the District and Sessions Court of MP-MLA Court Sultanpur. Allegedly, the remarks were made by Rahul Gandhi during an election rally in Bengaluru ahead of the Karnataka elections.

Gandhi gets bail
The Congress leader had appeared in the court on February 20 in the defamation case and he was granted bail by the court.

"He (Rahul Gandhi) surrendered in the court today. He surrendered and the court took him into custody for 30-45 minutes. After that, his bail application was submitted and was accepted (by the court)... His lawyer said that he is innocent and he has not made any defamatory statement," said Advocate Santosh Pandey.

Rahul Gandhi can be given a maximum punishment of 2 years if sufficient evidence is found, said the BJP leader's lawyer.