The defamation case was filed in 2018 by BJP leader Vijay Mishra, who accused Gandhi of making objectionable remarks about Shah, who is now the Union Home Minister, during a press conference in Bengaluru.
The complaint alleged that Gandhi had referred to Shah, then the BJP president, as a “murder accused” during a political rally ahead of the 2018 Karnataka Assembly election. Mishra maintained that the remarks were defamatory.
The statement attributed to Gandhi was: “People in India forget that the president of BJP is a murder accused. That's the truth. The party that talks about honesty, decency, has a person who has been accused of murder as president”.
Gandhi’s remarks were understood to refer to allegations concerning Shah’s alleged involvement in the extrajudicial killing of Sohrabuddin Sheik, described as a petty criminal, in 2005.
During the court proceedings, Gandhi disputed the allegations and maintained that his remarks had been presented out of context. The complainant, however, argued that the comments were defamatory and had targeted Shah during the election campaign.
Rahul Gandhi was represented by senior advocate Mr. R. S. Cheema, along with Mr. Kashi Nath Shukhla, Ms. Tarannum Cheema, Mr. Prasanna S, Mr. Kanishka Singh, Mr. Akash Singh, Mr. Sivam Thripati and Aman Khan.
The acquittal brings a legal development in the defamation case arising from Gandhi’s 2018 remarks about Shah. The court’s verdict followed proceedings in which Gandhi challenged the allegations and the complainant maintained that the statement had harmed Shah’s reputation.
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