UditVani, Jamshedpur : Congress leader and Lok Sabha’s Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, was granted bail by the special MP-MLA court in Chaibasa on Wednesday after he personally appeared before Judge Supriya Rani Tigga.
The court directed Gandhi to cooperate with ongoing trial proceedings.
Defamation Case Linked to 2018 Speech
The case pertains to a speech delivered by Rahul Gandhi during the All India Congress Committee (AICC) plenary session on March 28, 2018. In the speech, Gandhi allegedly referred to BJP leaders as “murderers” and “liars.”
BJP leader Pratap Kumar Katiyar took offense and filed a criminal defamation complaint against Gandhi in the Chaibasa CJM Court on July 9, 2018.
Katiyar and several BJP supporters were present in court during Wednesday’s proceedings.
Arrival Amid Tight Security
Gandhi arrived in Chaibasa by helicopter, landing at Tata College ground. Heavy security was deployed for his visit. Senior Congress leaders, including State Health Minister Irfan Ansari, Rural Development Minister Deepika Pandey, MLA Anup Singh, ex-minister Bandhu Tirkey, and former Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur, traveled by road from Ranchi but were denied entry to the court premises. Only select party leaders like MLA Sona Ram Sinku were allowed to remain nearby.
Gandhi entered the court building at 10:57 a.m. and was represented by advocates Pradeep Chandra and Dipankar Roy.
Court Proceedings and Timeline
Originally scheduled to appear on June 26, Gandhi had missed multiple court dates in the past. The case was initially heard in Chaibasa before being transferred to the Ranchi MP-MLA special court in February 2020 by the Jharkhand High Court. However, it was later redirected back to Chaibasa.
Despite summons, Gandhi failed to appear multiple times, prompting the issuance of first a bailable, then a non-bailable warrant. His attempts to secure exemption through Section 205 of CrPC were rejected by the Chaibasa court. His challenge to this in the High Court was also dismissed. Although an interim stay was granted in April 2024, it lapsed, leading to another non-bailable warrant on May 22, 2025.
Ultimately, after months of legal back-and-forth and missed appearances, Gandhi complied with the court’s order and appeared in person, securing bail.
