The court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Rupali Narwadiya has disposed of a defamation case filed against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his alleged remarks on Hindutva ideologue and freedom fighter VD Savarkar during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
The complaint was filed by Devendra Bhutada, president of the Nashik-based Nirbhaya Foundation, who alleged that Gandhi made defamatory statements about Savarkar during rallies held in Hingoli and Akole on June 15 and 16, 2022. Bhutada approached the court soon after learning of the remarks.
Based on the complaint, the court had registered a case under Sections 499 (defamation) and 504 (intentional insult) of the Indian Penal Code and issued summons to Gandhi in September 2024.
In July last year, the additional chief judicial magistrate granted Gandhi bail and allowed him to attend the proceedings virtually. Gandhi had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The court had ordered an inquiry under Section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in September 2024, which allows a magistrate to conduct an inquiry or direct a police investigation when the accused resides outside the court’s jurisdiction to determine whether sufficient grounds exist to proceed with the case.
After the Nashik police submitted their inquiry report, the complainant moved an application seeking to withdraw the case.
