Gujarat High Court shocks Rahul Gandhi in defamation case, sentence upheld

Ahmedabad (IANS). The Gujarat High Court on Friday refused to stay Rahul Gandhi’s two-year jail sentence in a criminal defamation case. Due to this he lost his membership of Parliament.

The court ruled that post-conviction stays are the exception, not the rule.

The defamation case pertains to the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign, when Rahul Gandhi made objectionable remarks regarding Modi’s surname. He had said, “How come all thieves have only one surname Modi.”

Gandhi’s counsel had argued that his client could lose his Lok Sabha seat “permanently and irrevocably”, as the offense carries a maximum sentence of two years.

The counsel further argued that such loss would have “very serious consequences for the person and the constituency he represents”.

Earlier in May, the Gujarat High Court had reserved its order on Rahul Gandhi’s plea to stay the sentence in the defamation case.