Indian opposition leader convicted in ‘Modi surname’ defamation case, granted bail

 

On Thursday, a court in Surat, Gujarat convicted Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in a 2019 defamation case and sentenced him to two years in jail. However, the court granted him bail on a surety of 15,000 INR and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal. 

Gandhi had allegedly made a remark during an election rally in Kolar, Karnataka, in 2019, where he linked the surname Modi with thieves, including Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, and Narendra Modi. 

The case was lodged by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi, who claimed that the statement had hurt the sentiments of his community.

While Gandhi was present in the courtroom along with Congress leaders, the defense lawyer expressed dissatisfaction over the verdict, stating that some of their arguments were not considered. The plaintiff and the prosecution lawyer, however, expressed satisfaction with the ruling.

 The police had beefed up security arrangements on the court campus to prevent any untoward incidents.