Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has been found guilty in a 2019 defamation case by a Surat court and sentenced to two years in jail. The case was filed by former Gujarat minister and BJP MLA from Surat West, Purnesh Modi, over alleged remarks made by Gandhi at a Lok Sabha election rally in Karnataka’s Kolar.
Gandhi had said, “Why do all the thieves have Modi in their names whether be it Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, and Narendra Modi?” The court granted Gandhi bail on a surety of Rs 15,000 and stayed the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal. While the prosecution lawyer and the complainant expressed satisfaction with the verdict, Gandhi’s defense lawyer stated that they were not satisfied and would take up their issues to higher courts.
The case was filed under section 499 (Whoever, by words either spoken or intended to be read, or by signs or by visible representations, makes or publishes any imputation concerning any person intending to harm, or knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm, the reputation of such person, is said to defame that person) and 500 (whoever defames another shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both) of the Indian Penal Code.
