The Supreme Court has issued a temporary stay on criminal defamation proceedings against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. This pause in legal action pertains to a defamation case filed by BJP worker Navin Jha, stemming from Gandhi’s alleged defamatory remarks about Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during a speech in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Jharkhand.
A two-judge Supreme Court bench, consisting of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, deliberated on Gandhi’s special leave petition. This petition challenges the Jharkhand High Court’s decision to uphold defamation charges against him. The controversy dates back to a 2019 rally in Chaibasa, where Gandhi purportedly referred to Amit Shah as a “murderer.” Navin Jha responded with a defamation complaint, which was initially dismissed by a local magistrate in Ranchi.
Jha’s subsequent revision petition led to the Judicial Commissioner in Ranchi reversing the magistrate’s decision on September 15, 2018. The case was reopened, compelling the magistrate to reevaluate the evidence, ultimately summoning Gandhi under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for alleged defamation.
Gandhi’s appeal was not successful at the Jharkhand High Court, where Justice Ambuj Nath found the remarks to be “prima facie defamatory,” particularly in light of past legal controversies involving Amit Shah and BJP leaders. During the latest hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued on behalf of Gandhi, highlighting that defamation complaints should only be initiated by those directly affected, rather than by third parties.
Recognizing this legal argument, the Supreme Court has permitted a four-week period for responses from both Navin Jha and the Jharkhand government. As such, the proceedings have been temporarily suspended, pending further judicial review.
