Rahul Gandhi appears before Chaibasa court over 'defamatory remarks' against Amit Shah in 2018

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appeared before an MP-MLA Court in Jharkhand's Chaibasa on Wednesday in connection with a case related to alleged defamatory remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a rally in 2018.

Security has been beefed up in and around the court where he reached from the Circuit House in Ranchi.

Gandhi had, on June 2, moved the Jharkhand High Court, challenging the order of the special court here, which had directed him to appear before it on June 26.

The Congress MP's counsel had informed the high court on June 10 that his client would not be able to appear on the specified day, and instead requested it to grant a date on August 6.

The high court had accepted his request.

A case of defamation was filed against Gandhi by a person named Pratap Kumar for allegedly making defamatory statements against Union Home Minister Shah at a rally in Chaibasa in 2018.

Kumar, in his petition filed before the court of the magistrate in Chaibasa, had alleged that Gandhi's statements were defamatory and made purposely to malign the stature of Shah.

Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, arrived in Jharkhand on Tuesday to attend the funeral of veteran tribal leader and former chief minister Shibu Soren at his ancestral village Nemra in adjoining Ramgarh district.

According to officials, Gandhi took a helicopter from Ranchi to reach Chaibasa.

A helipad was set up at Tata College Ground for the purpose, they added.