The Gujarat High Court is poised to deliver its verdict today on Rahul Gandhi's plea, more than a month after the final hearing took place. Gandhi, the former president of the Congress party, seeks to halt the conviction in a criminal defamation case that led to a two-year prison sentence imposed by a Surat court.
This case stems from comments made during a 2019 rally in Karnataka while campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections. Gandhi's remarks pertained to the Modi surname.
Upon his conviction and subsequent imprisonment earlier this year, he was disqualified as a Member of Parliament from the Lok Sabha.
Justice Helmand Prachchhak of the High Court concluded the hearing on May 2nd and reserved the order on the petition seeking to suspend the conviction.
Regarding the Surat court ruling, BJP legislator Purnesh Modi filed a criminal defamation complaint against Gandhi.
Purnesh Modi argued that Gandhi's statement, "why do all thieves have Modi surname in common," tarnished and defamed the Modi community.
Gandhi made this remark during a campaign rally in Karnataka during the last parliamentary elections in 2019.
Following the trial court's conviction and sentencing, the Surat Sessions court declined to suspend the conviction while temporarily suspending the sentence and granting bail until the disposal of Gandhi's appeal.
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