Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was granted bail on Wednesday by the Special MP-MLA Court in Chaibasa in connection with a criminal defamation case. The bail was granted after Gandhi complied with the Jharkhand High Court’s directive to appear personally before the court.
Gandhi appeared before Judge Supriya Rani Tigga, who granted him bail on the condition that he cooperates fully with the trial proceedings. Advocates Pradeep Chandra and Dipankar Roy represented Gandhi during the hearing.
The case dates back to March 28, 2018, during the plenary session of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), where Gandhi allegedly referred to BJP leaders as 'murderers' and 'liars.' BJP leader Pratap Kumar Katiyar took objection to the remarks and filed a defamation complaint in the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court in Chaibasa on July 9, 2018.
After the initial hearing in Chaibasa, the case was transferred to the MP-MLA Special Court in Ranchi in February 2020 on the orders of the Jharkhand High Court. It was later returned to the Chaibasa MP-MLA Court following further directions from the High Court. Despite several summons, Rahul Gandhi did not appear in court, prompting the issuance of first a bailable warrant and subsequently a non-bailable warrant. His legal team challenged these warrants in the Jharkhand High Court.
While a petition was disposed of in March 2024, a plea for exemption from personal appearance under Section 205 of the CrPC was rejected by the Chaibasa court. A subsequent petition challenging this order was later withdrawn by Gandhi himself in March. Although a temporary stay was granted by the High Court in April 2024, it expired in due course. A non-bailable warrant was once again issued by the Chaibasa court on May 22.
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On June 2 this year, Gandhi filed another petition in the High Court contesting the summons order. The court directed him to appear before the Chaibasa court by June 26. However, his legal counsel informed the court that he would not be able to appear on that date.
Rahul Gandhi finally complied with the court’s directive today, arriving in Chaibasa from Ranchi by helicopter. A temporary helipad was set up at Tata College Ground for his arrival amid tight security arrangements. BJP leader Pratap Katiyar, along with several party members, was also present at the court.
Accompanying Gandhi to Chaibasa were several Congress leaders including Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari, Rural Development Minister Deepika Pandey Singh, MLA Anup Singh, and former minister Bandhu Tirkey, who travelled by road. The court will now proceed with the trial, and Rahul Gandhi is expected to participate in the legal process as required.
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