Rahul Gandhi summoned in defamation case by Savarkar's grandnephew
A Pune court has issued a summons to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case. The case was filed by Satyaki Savarkar, the grandnephew of late Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Satyaki accused Gandhi of making objectionable remarks against his great-uncle during a visit to the United Kingdom last year. The court has ordered Gandhi to appear before it on October 23.
Details of the defamation case against Gandhi
Satyaki lodged a complaint with a Pune magistrate court over alleged defamatory comments made by Gandhi in April 2023. These remarks were reportedly made during an event in London on March 5, 2023. The complaint stated that "Rahul Gandhi has intentionally made false, malicious and wild allegations against Savarkar...with the specific objective of harming his reputation and to defame the surname 'Savarkar' and to hurt the feelings of the family."
Satyaki Savarkar seeks legal action against Gandhi
Satyaki also claimed that Gandhi's words caused "mental agony" to him and his family. He has requested the court to try Gandhi in accordance with the law, seek maximum punishment, and award compensation to the petitioner. The fresh order came just days after a Nashik court summoned Gandhi over alleged objectionable remarks made against Savarkar during a press conference in Hingoli and a speech in November 2022.
Nashik court's observations on Gandhi's remarks
The Nashik court observed that "considering the record, it appears that the statements made by the accused against a patriotic person prima-facie seem to be defamatory." The magistrate added there are sufficient grounds to proceed in this case. According to the complainant, Gandhi said "Savarkar is BJP and RSS jin," which was defamatory in nature. Consequently, the court issued a process against Gandhi for offenses under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 (defamation) and 504 (intentional insult).
