Rahul Gandhi gets 2 years in jail in 2019 defamation case; granted bail

A court in Surat in Gujarat on Thursday (March 23) sentenced Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his Modi surname remarks.

The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma, which held Rahul guilty under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500, also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court, the Congress leaders lawyer Babu Mangukiya said.

Watch: Why has Rahul Gandhi been sentenced to two years in prison?

As per the Representation of the People Act, a person sentenced to imprisonment of two years or more shall be disqualified “from the date of such conviction” and remain disqualified for another six years after serving time.

Rahul was present in the court when the verdict was pronounced. The case was filed against Gandhi for his alleged “how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?” remarks on a complaint lodged by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi.

Reacting to the court’s verdict, Rahul tweeted a quote from Mahatma Gandhi, in Hindi, “My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God, non-violence the means to get it. – Mahatma Gandhi.”

मेरा धर्म सत्य और अहिंसा पर आधारित है। सत्य मेरा भगवान है, अहिंसा उसे पाने का साधन।

– महात्मा गांधी

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 23, 2023

The Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad made the remarks while addressing a rally at Kolar in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Reacting to the judgment, complainant and Surat West Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Purnesh Modi said he welcomed the court’s verdict.

The final arguments resumed in the case last month after the Gujarat High Court vacated its stay on proceedings imposed on plea by the complainant demanding Rahul’s personal appearance.

Rahul had last appeared before the Surat court in the case in October 2021 to record his statement. Before that, the Congress MP had appeared in the court to plead not guilty to charges levelled against him.

Earlier in the day, state Congress leaders, including GPCC president Jagdish Thakor, legislature party leader Amit Chavda, senior leader Arjun Modhwadia, AICC in-charge of Gujarat Raghu Sharma, were at Surat airport to receive Gandhi.

A huge number of party functionaries had assembled at various spots in the city as a show of strength and support for Gandhi, with posters extolling him as Sher-e-Hindustan (lion of Hindustan) and placards declaring that the “Congress will not bow before the dictatorship of the BJP” on display.

VIDEO of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reaching Surat District Court today morning. The court holds him guilty in the criminal defamation case filed against him over his alleged ‘Modi surname’ remark. pic.twitter.com/988hRs4Cec

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 23, 2023

(With agency inputs)