Defamation case: Rahul Gandhi's counsel told the court his client was busy with assembly elections (File)
A court in Bhiwandi in Maharashtra's Thane district on Saturday set February 10 as the date of commencement of day-to-day trial in the defamation case filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by an activist of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The court was scheduled to begin the trial in the case from today. But the counsel for the complainant requested the court to postpone it saying his client was out of town for some personal reason.
In his order, civil court judge and judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) at Bhiwandi, J V Paliwal, fixed February 10 as the date of commencement of trial.
Advocate Prabodh Jaywant, counsel for RSS activist Rajesh Kunte, complainant in the case, submitted in the court that since his client was out of town for personal reasons, trial be postponed.
Rahul Gandhi's counsel, advocate Narayan Iyer, told the court that his client was busy with the assembly elections in Goa, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. He, however, said the court can nevertheless go ahead with the proceedings.
After hearing both the sides, the court postponed the trial.
During the last hearing in the case on January 29, the court had cited a recent order of the Supreme Court, which called for speedy disposal of cases involving elected representatives. The Bhiwandi court had said that the case against Mr Gandhi fell under the same category and hence needs to be taken up on priority, fast-tracked and heard on a day-to-day basis.
Mr Kunte, a local worker of the RSS, had in 2014 filed the case against Mr Gandhi after watching his speech in Thane's Bhiwandi township, where the Congress leader alleged that the Sangh was behind the killing of Mahatma Gandhi. Mr Kunte had claimed that this statement slandered the reputation of the RSS.
In 2018, a court in Thane had framed charges against Mr Gandhi in the case, but he had pleaded not guilty to the charges.