Congress leader and Ex MP Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday moved the Gujarat High Court, challenging the Surat Sessions court’s order in which the court had rejected his plea for a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case for his “Modi surname” remark.
The Surat court on April 20 had rejected Rahul Gandi’s plea for a stay on his conviction by a Magistrate court in a criminal defamation case against him.
Gandhi was convicted by a Magistrate court in Surat on March 23 for his remark “All thieves have Modi surname” which he made at an election rally in Kolar in 2019.
Additional Sessions Judge Robin Mogera refused to stay the conviction.
Before his conviction, Gandhi was the MP representing Kerala’s Wayanad constituency.
Rahul Gandhi was convicted by a magistrate court on March 23 on a complaint filed by BJP leader Purnesh Mod, who claimed that the Congress leader through his remark defamed the entire Modi community.
Gandhi stated in his speech that “Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi. How come all the thieves have ‘Modi’ as a common surname?”
Purnesh Modi filed a defamation suit against Gandhi claiming that by this statement, Gandhi defamed all the persons with ‘Modi’ surname.
Magistrate Hadirash Varma convicted Gandhi for criminal defamation and sentenced him to 2 years in jail.
The judge stated that, through his statement, he insulted all persons with the Modi surname for his political interest.
As a result of his conviction, Gandhi was disqualified as a Lok Sabha MP.
Then, Gandhi moved the Surat sessions court challenging his conviction, through a legal team of Senior Advocate RS Cheema and Advocates Kirit Panwala & Tarannum Cheema.
Previously, On April 13, Judge Mogera heard the submissions of both parties on the point of whether to stay the conviction or not.
