The verdict will come today i.e. on July 7, on the plea seeking a stay on the sentence of Rahul Gandhi in the defamation case related to the Modi surname remark. According to the list released by the High Court on Thursday, the court of Justice Hemant Prachhak will give its verdict at 11 am on Friday. Earlier, Rahul had filed a review petition seeking a stay on his sentence.
In fact, in March 2019, in connection with the remarks made by Rahul Gandhi regarding the Modi surname, the Surat court sentenced him to two years under section 504. After this, Rahul’s Lok Sabha membership also went away. In such a situation, if the decision comes in favor of Rahul from the High Court, then the way will be paved for the restoration of the Congress leader’s membership of Parliament.
Earlier, Justice Prachchak had refused to grant interim relief to Rahul Gandhi while hearing his petition in May. He had said that he would pass the final order after the summer vacation.
Rahul Gandhi’s counsel had argued in the Gujarat High Court during a hearing on April 29 that a maximum sentence of two years for a bailable and non-cognizable offense would mean his client would lose his Lok Sabha seat.
In fact, during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, at a rally in Kolar, Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi had said, ‘How come all thieves have Modi as their surname?’ Regarding this, BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi had filed a defamation case against Rahul Gandhi. He alleged that Rahul had defamed the entire Modi community with his remarks. A case was registered against Rahul under IPC sections 499 and 500 (defamation).
