SC halts defamation case against Rahul Gandhi over 'murder accused' remark on Amit Shah

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the criminal defamation proceedings against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in connection with remarks made during a public speech in Chaibasa in 2019. The case was filed by BJP worker Navin Jha, who accused Gandhi of defaming Union Home Minister Amit Shah by calling him a "murder accused." The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, issued a notice to the Jharkhand government and Jha, granting them four weeks to respond to Gandhi’s Special Leave Petition (SLP). The court also suspended the criminal proceedings until further orders.

The defamation case traces back to March 18, 2018, when Jha filed a complaint against Gandhi after his controversial speech during the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign. Gandhi allegedly referred to Amit Shah as a “murder accused” and made additional remarks about BJP workers, calling them "liars" and "drunk with power." The complaint was initially dismissed by a magistrate court. However, Jha appealed to the Judicial Commissioner in Ranchi, who, in September 2018, directed the magistrate to reconsider the case. The magistrate then ruled on November 28, 2018, that there was enough evidence to proceed with the defamation case under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), issuing a summons for Gandhi’s attendance.

In his petition to the Supreme Court, Gandhi challenged the Jharkhand High Court’s February 2024 decision, which had upheld the trial court's summons. Gandhi’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, argued that only the aggrieved party, Amit Shah, could file a defamation case, not a third party such as Jha. They contended that Jha’s complaint lacked legal standing. The High Court had dismissed Gandhi's plea to quash the case, finding that his statements could be deemed defamatory under Section 499 of the IPC, which deals with defamation and reputational harm. The High Court noted that the remarks could harm Shah’s reputation and that of the BJP.

The Supreme Court’s decision to stay the proceedings temporarily provides Gandhi with an opportunity to contest the defamation case further. The court has ordered the Jharkhand government and Jha to respond to Gandhi’s petition within four weeks. This legal battle revolves around the interpretation of defamation laws and whether third parties have the legal standing to file defamation cases on behalf of individuals allegedly harmed by statements. Gandhi’s legal team maintains that the case is politically motivated, while the complainant argues that the remarks made by Gandhi were damaging and required legal action.