Rahul Gandhi Acquitted in 2018 Defamation Case Over Amit Shah Remarks

Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has received major relief in a defamation case that began in 2018. On Monday, October 26, a special MP-MLA court in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, acquitted him over remarks he made about Amit Shah, who was the BJP president at the time.

Rahul Gandhi was present in court when Additional Civil Judge Shubham Verma delivered the verdict. The court ruled that his remarks were not defamatory in nature

What Was the Case About?

The case dates back to May 8, 2018, when Rahul Gandhi was campaigning for the Karnataka Assembly elections. During a press conference in Bengaluru, he referred to Amit Shah’s name in connection with a murder case and questioned the BJP’s claims of honesty and clean politics.

The remarks related to the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case. A special CBI court had discharged Amit Shah in that case in 2014.

BJP leader Vijay Mishra, a former chairman of the Sultanpur District Cooperative Bank, filed a criminal defamation complaint against Gandhi on August 4, 2018. He alleged that the comments harmed Shah’s reputation.

How Did the Case Progress?

The court summoned Rahul Gandhi in November 2023. He appeared in court in February 2024 and secured bail.

During the proceedings, the complainant sought to have Gandhi’s voice sample matched with a recording of the speech. The trial court rejected the request, and the sessions court and Allahabad High Court also rejected challenges to that decision.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the court scheduled its verdict for October 26, 2026.

What Does the Verdict Mean?

The court’s decision brings relief to Gandhi in this particular criminal defamation case. It does not relate to other cases against him.

The case had remained pending for more than eight years, making Monday’s verdict an important development in the political and legal dispute over his remarks about Amit Shah.