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Rahul Gandhi acquitted in Sultanpur defamation case FAST-MOVING
A special MP-MLA court in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, has acquitted Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, in a criminal defamation case. The verdict, delivered on October 26, 2026, by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Shubham Verma, concluded that remarks made by Gandhi in 2018 did not constitute defamation.
The case originated from a press conference held in Bengaluru during the 2018 Karnataka Assembly election campaign. At the time, Gandhi made comments regarding Amit Shah, who was then the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in connection with a murder case. BJP leader Vijay Mishra filed the formal complaint on August 4, 2018, alleging the remarks were objectionable and damaged Shah's reputation.
Gandhi appeared in person before the court for the pronouncement of the judgment. The legal proceedings had spanned several years, including a period where Gandhi was granted bail in early 2024.
Earlier on the same day, while traveling from Lucknow to Sultanpur, several vehicles in Gandhi's convoy, including an ambulance, were involved in a collision on the Purvanchal Expressway near the 91-km milestone. While several party workers and security personnel sustained injuries, Gandhi was reported safe and was not involved in the crash.
Entities
Amit Shah · Bharatiya Janata Party · Indian National Congress · M. Veerappa Moily · Narendra Modi · Rahul Gandhi · Revanth Reddy · Shubham Verma · Sultanpur · Sultanpur Court · Vijay Mishra
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 19 SOURCES] Vijay Mishra filed the defamation complaint on August 4, 2018. sahilonline.org · www.newsmobile.in · hindi.news18.com · www.india.com · www.timesnownews.com · +13 more
- [● 2 SOURCES] Some people in the convoy sustained minor injuries during the accident. www.india.com · www.timesnownews.com
- [DISPUTED] A special MP-MLA court in Sultanpur is scheduled to deliver a verdict on October 26. sahilonline.org · www.zoomnews.in · navbharatlive.com · www.newsmobile.in · www.prameyanews.com · +7 more
- [● 2 SOURCES] Rahul Gandhi's convoy was involved in a road accident on the Purvanchal Expressway. www.india.com · www.timesnownews.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Allahabad High Court dismissed a petition challenging previous court decisions in this case. sahilonline.org · www.bhaskarhindi.com · navbharatlive.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Rahul Gandhi was reported safe following the convoy accident. www.india.com · www.timesnownews.com
- [● 24 SOURCES] The case involves remarks made by Rahul Gandhi against Amit Shah during the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections. sahilonline.org · www.zoomnews.in · navbharatlive.com · www.newsmobile.in · www.prameyanews.com · +18 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] Rahul Gandhi is required to appear in person before the Sultanpur court. sahilonline.org · www.zoomnews.in · navbharatlive.com · www.prameyanews.com · www.newsmobile.in · +4 more
- [DISPUTED] The Sultanpur court acquitted Rahul Gandhi in the defamation case on October 26, 2026. www.dynamitenews.com · samacharnama.com · www.orissapost.com · www.agniban.com · navabharat.news · +1 more
- [● 9 SOURCES] Rahul Gandhi’s convoy vehicles collided on the Purvanchal Expressway in Sultanpur district. munsifdaily.com · assamtribune.com · english.mathrubhumi.com · www.mangalorean.com · news.abplive.com · +4 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] The collision involved five vehicles from the convoy and an ambulance. munsifdaily.com · assamtribune.com · news.abplive.com · navabharat.news · bhaskarlive.in · +1 more
- [● 7 SOURCES] Rahul Gandhi was safe following the convoy accident. munsifdaily.com · assamtribune.com · english.mathrubhumi.com · navabharat.news · bhaskarlive.in · +2 more