No relief for Rahul Gandhi in defamation case, Surat Court dismisses plea seeking stay

A Surat Court in Gujarat dismissed Rahul Gandhi’s request seeking a stay on his conviction in a defamation case over his ‘Modi surname’ remark.

Rahul Gandhi had requested that his conviction be postponed while he appealed a court order that handed him a sentence of two years in prison.

Gandhi claimed that the trial court was greatly influenced by his position as an MP and treated him harshly.

A day after a metropolitan magistrate court in Surat handed down a two-year prison sentence to the Congress leader in a case brought by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi, the leader was disqualified from serving as an MP.

In a case brought by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi, Gandhi was found guilty for making remarks in a 2019 speech that were deemed to be insulting to the prime minister and other people with the surname Modi.

Also read: Rahul Gandhi granted permanent exemption from court in defamation case