Supreme Court Halts Defamation Case Against Rahul Gandhi Over Amit Shah Remarks

New Delhi: In a significant development, the Supreme Court has granted interim relief to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by staying defamation proceedings initiated over his 2019 remarks about Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The case was filed by BJP member Navin Jha, who took offense at Gandhi's statements during a Lok Sabha election rally in Chaibasa, Jharkhand.The controversy stems from Gandhi’s alleged reference to Amit Shah as a “murderer,” prompting Jha to lodge a defamation complaint. Initially dismissed by a Ranchi magistrate, the case was revived in 2018 when the Judicial Commissioner overturned the dismissal, directing a re-examination of the evidence. This led to a fresh summons against Gandhi under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).Rahul Gandhi challenged the proceedings, arguing before the Jharkhand High Court, where Justice Ambuj Nath found prima facie evidence of defamation under Section 499 of the IPC. Following this setback, Gandhi appealed to the Supreme Court.During the hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued that only the person directly affected has the legal standing to file a defamation suit, not a third party. Taking this into account, the Supreme Court paused the proceedings and allowed four weeks for responses from Navin Jha and the Jharkhand government. The case remains pending further review.