Ahmedabad: A sessions court in Gujarat’s Surat is likely to pronounce its order on Thursday on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s plea for a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his “Modi surname” remark. A stay order could pave the way for Gandhi’s reinstatement as a Member of Parliament.
The court of Additional Sessions Judge RP Mogera had last Thursday reserved its verdict for April 20 on Gandhi’s application for a stay on conviction pending his appeal against a lower court’s order sentencing him to two years in jail in the case. Gandhi had earlier submitted that the trial court treated him harshly after being overwhelmingly influenced by his status as an MP.
The 52-year-old politician was elected to the Lok Sabha from Wayanad in Kerala in 2019 but was disqualified a day after a metropolitan magistrate court in Surat on March 23 sentenced him to two years in jail in a case filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Purnesh Modi under sections 499 and 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code.
Gandhi had on April 3 moved the sessions court against the lower court’s order. His lawyers also filed two applications, one for a stay on the sentence (or bail till the disposal of his appeal) and another for a stay on conviction till the disposal of the appeal.
While granting Gandhi bail, the court issued notices to complainant Purnesh Modi and the state government on his plea for a stay on conviction. It heard both parties on Thursday last week and reserved the order for April 20.
MLA Modi had filed a criminal defamation case against Gandhi over his remarks, “How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?” made during an election rally at Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019.
