# Rahul Gandhi defamation trial over Savarkar > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/rahul-gandhi-defamation-trial-over-savarkar > Updated: 2026-08-15T12:09:01.000Z. Sources: 20. Developments: 4. In late July 2026, a special court in Pune, presided over by Judge Amol Shinde, began hearing a criminal defamation case filed by the Savarkar family against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The prosecution introduced excerpts from Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s book, ‘Savarkar’s Science-oriented Essays’, which question the existence of God and criticize religious practices. During testimony, Satyaki Savarkar, the grandnephew of the ideologue, confirmed the authorship and stated that his granduncle regarded cows merely as ‘useful’ animals, asserting that ‘regarding a cow as a deity is an insult to humanity and to the very concept of divinity.’ Rahul Gandhi’s counsel, Milind Pawar, utilized the same text during cross-examination to bolster the defense. The legal battle centered on whether Gandhi’s remarks regarding Savarkar constituted defamation. On August 14, 2026, the Supreme Court of India quashed the criminal proceedings and summons against Gandhi. The ruling, delivered by a bench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Sheetal Nagu, overturned lower court orders after the Uttar Pradesh government submitted an affidavit stating there was no record of the mandatory legal sanction required to prosecute the lawmaker. The case had originated from comments made by Gandhi during the 2022 ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, where he referred to Savarkar as a ‘servant of the British’ who received a pension from them. On August 15, 2026, Judicial Magistrate First Class Amol Shindere dismissed an application by researcher Pankaj Phadnis to intervene in the proceedings. Phadnis argued his 25 years of research would assist the court, but the court ruled he lacked ‘locus standi’ as he was not a family member or near relative of Savarkar. The court imposed a cost of ₹20,000 on Phadnis for wasting judicial time. ## Claims - A Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant is scheduled to hear the disproportionate assets petition on August 17, 2026. (corroborated by 11 sources) - Rahul Gandhi is challenging an Allahabad High Court order that directed the CBI and ED to verify allegations of disproportionate assets against him. (corroborated by 10 sources) - The disproportionate assets case originated from a complaint by BJP worker Vignesh Shishir from Karnataka. (corroborated by 9 sources) - Rahul Gandhi filed a petition to transfer the disproportionate assets case from the Allahabad High Court to the Delhi High Court. (corroborated by 9 sources) - The Allahabad High Court expressed dissatisfaction with a CBI affidavit, stating it did not adequately comply with previous directions. (corroborated by 9 sources) - The Supreme Court quashed a criminal defamation complaint against Rahul Gandhi regarding his remarks about VD Savarkar. (corroborated by 5 sources) - The quashing was due to the lack of mandatory prosecution sanction from the Uttar Pradesh government. (corroborated by 5 sources) - BJP MPs Anurag Thakur and Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal filed complaints alleging Rahul Gandhi used unparliamentary language and violated parliamentary rights. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The Lok Sabha Committee of Privileges issued a notice to Rahul Gandhi requiring a response by August 28, 2026. (corroborated by 3 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-08-15: Pune Court rejects researcher's plea in Rahul Gandhi defamation case A Pune court rejected researcher Pankaj Phadnis's attempt to intervene in the defamation case against Rahul Gandhi, ruling he lacks legal standing and imposing a ₹20,000 fine for wasting court time. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/pune-court-rejects-researchers-plea-in-rahul-gandhi-defamation-case ### 2026-08-13: Rahul Gandhi faces Supreme Court rulings on defamation and asset probe Rahul Gandhi faces several legal challenges: the Supreme Court quashed a defamation case regarding V.D. Savarkar, while he seeks to overturn an order to probe his assets and faces a parliamentary privilege-of-m 17 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/rahul-gandhi-challenges-high-court-order-in-supreme-court ### 2026-08-04: Rahul Gandhi faces defamation trial over Savarkar’s cow‑worship comments In Pune, Satyaki Savarkar testified that Vinayak Savarkar saw cows as useful animals, not deities, in a defamation suit against Rahul Gandhi over alleged remarks on the Hindutva leader. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/rahul-gandhi-faces-defamation-trial-over-savarkars-cowworship-comments ### 2026-07-31: Rahul Gandhi Defamation Trial Features Savarkar's Anti‑God Writings in Pune Court In a Pune court, Rahul Gandhi's lawyer cited passages from Vinayak Savarkar's book that question God's existence as the congress leader faces a criminal defamation suit filed by the Savarkar family. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/rahul-gandhi-defamation-trial-features-savarkars-antigod-writings-in-pune-court --- Cite as: Rahul Gandhi defamation trial over Savarkar. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/rahul-gandhi-defamation-trial-over-savarkar