In a huge relief for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Supreme Court on Friday stayed his conviction in ‘Modi surname’ defamation case. This development comes after a lower court in Surat and Gujarat High Court rejected his petitions to stay the conviction.

A three-judge bench, headed by Justice BR Gavai, said “No reason has been given by trial court judge for imposing maximum sentence, order of conviction needs to be stayed pending final adjudication.”

Also Read: Defamation case: Not guilty of offence, won’t tender apology, says Rahul Gandhi in Supreme Court

While granting relief to Rahul Gandhi, Justice Gavai said, “The ramifications of the trial court’s order are wide. Not only was Gandhi’s right to continue in public life affected but also that of the electorate who elected him,” Live Law reported.

‘Won’t apologise’

Gandhi had on Thursday submitted in the Supreme Court that he would not apologise to settle the criminal defamation case that cost him his membership from parliament, maintaining that his conviction by a Surat court is unsustainable and that he has an “excellent” chance of success in his appeal.

Also Read: Jharkhand HC: No coercive action against Rahul Gandhi in Modi surname case

In his rejoinder affidavit filed on Thursday, Gandhi criticised Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Purnesh Modi — the complainant in the defamation case against him, for calling him “arrogant” in an affidavit before the court just because Gandhi refused to tender an apology and express remorse over his remarks on ‘Modi’ surname at a poll rally in 2019.

Purnesh Modi, a former minister in the Gujarat government, had filed a criminal defamation case in 2019 against Gandhi over his “How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?” remark made during an election rally at Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019.

On March 23, a Surat court convicted Rahul Gandhi in the defamation case over his remark on the ‘Modi’ surname and sentenced him to two years in jail. A day later, he was disqualified as a Lok Sabha MP. He represented the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala.

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi defamation case: Gujarat High Court reserves verdict in plea seeking stay on conviction

Gujarat HC rejection petition

The Congress leader had gone to the Supreme Court after the Gujarat High Court dismissed his petition last month against a Surat court order convicting him in the case on March 23. The lower court had also sentenced Rahul Gandhi for two years.

Dismissing Rahul Gandhi’s petition, the Gujarat High Court had, on July 7, observed that “purity in politics” is the need of the hour. The High Court further said that there was no reasonable ground to pause the conviction, adding that the trial court’s order was “just, proper and legal” and there was no need to interfere with it.

“There is no reasonable ground to stay the conviction. The trial court’s order is just, proper and legal and there is no need to interfere with the said order. The disqualification is not limited to only MPs and MLAs,” the court said.

During the hearing today, the Supreme Court had remarked that the Gujarat High Court order made for a “very interesting read” and that it had a “lot of preaching.”