Bombay High Court rejects Rahul Gandhi's plea to quash Modi defamation case

The Bombay High Court has dismissed a petition by Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, seeking to quash a 2019 criminal defamation summons. The case stems from remarks Gandhi made during a 2018 rally in Rajasthan, where he referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a ‘commander-in-thief’ in connection with the Rafale fighter aircraft deal.

Justice Nitin Borkar, presiding over a single-judge bench, rejected Gandhi’s argument that the complaint was not maintainable because he had not named a specific individual or group. The court ruled that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is a registered national political party and thus constitutes an identifiable body. The judge noted that because the Prime Minister is a prominent face of the BJP, remarks against him could impact the party's members, a matter that must be determined during the trial.

The defamation complaint was filed by BJP member Mahesh Shrishrimal. While the High Court refused to quash the proceedings, it granted Gandhi a six-week extension of an earlier order to defer his appearance before the magistrate, allowing him time to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court.