Savarkar defamation case: Pune court summons Rahul Gandhi on December 2

The complainant, Satyaki Savarkar, the grand-nephew of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, has claimed that the Congress leader had made objectionable comments against the Hindutva icon. 

A special court in Pune ordered Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to appear before it on December 2 in connection with a criminal defamation case filed against him by the grand-nephew of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

The complainant, Satyaki Savarkar, has claimed that Mr. Gandhi made objectionable comments against the Hindutva icon in a speech in London on March 5, 2023.

The Special MP/MLA Court, presided over by Joint Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate [First Class] Amol Shinde, had on October 4, 2024, issued summons to Mr. Gandhi to appear on October 23. However, the Congress leader did not appear in court and his counsel said they had not received the summons.

On Monday, advocate Sangram Kolhatkar, representing Mr. Savarkar, approached the court and requested that fresh summons be issued to the Congress leader.

Also read | The fight over Savarkar’s legacy

Advocate Milind Pawar, for Mr. Gandhi, informed the court that the Congress leader would appear on the next date.

The complainant has claimed that Mr. Gandhi, in his speech, said that Savarkar had written about beating up a Muslim man and that he took pleasure in doing that. He said Mr. Gandhi’s remarks were absolutely malicious, false and defamatory.

Published - November 19, 2024 01:23 pm IST