In a reprieve to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, the Supreme Court on Thursday stayed proceedings against him in a criminal defamation case filed in Maharashtra. An RSS activist had filed a complaint against Gandhi, alleging he has tarnished RSS’ image by blaming it for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi during an election rally on March 6.
A bench headed by Justices Dipak Misra, while issuing notices to the Centre and RSS activist Rajesh Kunte, secretary of the Bhiwandi unit of RSS, stayed till July 8 further proceedings pending before a magisterial court in Bhiwandi in Thane district. It also tagged Gandhi’s appeal with similar appeals filed by politicians of rival parties, BJP’s Subramanian Swamy and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
The leaders have challenged the constitutional validity of the penal provisions under Sections 499 and 500 of IPC, which deal with criminal defamation.
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