Surat court to pronounce order on April 20 on Rahul's plea for stay to conviction in defamation case

The Surat sessions court reserved its verdict on the appeal for suspension of sentence awarded to Congress' Rahul Gandhi. Additional sessions judge RP Mogera said he will pronounce the order on April 20.

The chief judicial magistrate, Surat, had convicted Gandhi on March 23 in a criminal defamation case filed by ex-Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi for linking up the surname of economic offenders and fugitives Lalit Modi and Nirav Modi with that of PM Modi in an election speech in Karnataka.

Gandhi moved the sessions court after this and the matter was admitted on April 3. Purnesh Modi on April 10 filed an affidavit through his lawyers, opposing the bail granted to Gandhi and accusing him of being a repeat offender.


Gandhi has been convicted under sections 499 and 500 of IPC and given the maximum penalty of two years of jail. The conviction has already cost him Lok Sabha membership.

On Thursday, senior advocate RS Cheema, appearing for Gandhi, argued that the court has the power to suspend the sentence pending appeal.