The defamation case against Rahul Gandhi has been deferred again due to a witness absence

A special court on Tuesday deferred the hearing over a defamation case against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi after a witness from the complainant's side did not depose in court.

The special MP-MLA court fixed April 28 as the next date of hearing, according to a lawyer in the case.

Gandhi's lawyer, Kashi Prasad Shukla, said, "The hearing was scheduled to take place today, but no action could be taken as the witness from the complainant's side was not produced. The court has fixed April 28 as the next date of hearing." The previous hearing in the case took place on April 3.

Complainant's lawyer Santosh Kumar Pandey said a witness was supposed to testify on Tuesday.

"The witness had come to court but could not record the statement due to ill health. Upon my request, the judge set April 28 as the next hearing date," he added.

The case dates back to 2018, when local BJP politician Vijay Mishra filed a defamation suit over Gandhi's alleged objectionable remarks against BJP leader Amit Shah during the Karnataka assembly elections.

After five years of legal proceedings, the court issued a warrant against Gandhi in December 2023.

The Rae Bareli MP surrendered before the court in February 2024, and was granted bail on two sureties of Rs 25,000 each by the special magistrate. On July 26, he recorded his statement before the court, claiming innocence and calling the case a political conspiracy.

Earlier this year, multiple hearings were postponed due to a strike by lawyers and the ill health of Gandhi's counsel.

On February 11, Gandhi's lawyer Shukla completed the cross-examination of the complainant.