In a major setback, a Surat court on Thursday dismissed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s plea to stay his conviction in a 2019 defamation case over his ‘Modi surname’ remark.
Earlier, a Gujarat court convicted Rahul Gandhi in a 2019 defamation case over his remark that “the surname of all thieves is Modi”. The remarks were made in Karnataka’s Kolar region ahead of the 2019 national election, and Gandhi was found guilty by a court in Surat in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat. Gandhi was sentenced by the court to two years in prison, but was released on bail so that he could appeal the verdict.
Gandhi was convicted under section 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code, which states that whoever defames another person shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both. Is.
Former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi filed a criminal action saying Gandhi’s comments defamed the Modi community.
The 52-year-old politician was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kerala’s Wayanad in 2019 but was disqualified a day after a metropolitan magistrate court in Surat sentenced him to two years in prison on March 23 in a case filed by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi.
Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Purnesh Modi filed a criminal defamation suit against Gandhi over his remark, “How can all thieves be surnamed Modi?” Made during an election rally in Kolar, Karnataka on April 13, 2019.