Rahul Gandhi's 2-year sentence stayed; no impact on disqualification as MP

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was on Monday granted bail by Surat sessions court while hearing the appeal against his conviction and two-year sentence in a 2019 defamation case.

He has been asked to furnish a bail bond of Rs 15,000. The court has fixed April 13 as the next date of hearing in the case.

The Surat sessions court has also granted stay on the two-year imprisonment sentence for the duration of the pendency of Rahul’s appeal.

However, stay on the sentence will have no impact on Rahul’s disqualification; only stay on conviction will reverse the decision. Sources in Rahul’s legal team say getting a stay on conviction will take longer as a ruling on this can only be granted after hearing arguments from all parties involved in the case.

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The Gandhi scion had moved a plea in the Surat sessions court to set aside the magistrate order convicting him in connection with his “Modi surname” remark. Sources said the former Congress president had pleaded for an interim stay on the conviction which would also restore his Lok Sabha membership.

Appeal pendency

The Surat sessions court has also granted stay on the two-year imprisonment sentence for the duration of the pendency of Rahul’s appeal. It has also issued notices to BJP leader Purnesh Modi, complainant in the defamation case, on Rahul’s appeal and accompanying applications seeking suspension of conviction and suspension of sentence.

Purnesh Modi’s lawyer has to file the reply before next date of hearing. Decision on whether conviction can also be stayed to be taken up by court only after hearing counter arguments by the complainant on April 13.

Rahul, accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi, senior party leaders Digvijaya Singh and Anand Sharma, arrived at the Surat sessions court. Chief Ministers of three Congress-ruled states – Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu – were also in Surat for Rahul’s “moral support”. He met his mother Sonia Gandhi on Sunday before his court appearance.