Rahul Gandhi Gets Big Blow, Surat Court Rejects Plea To Cancel Sentence, Now Hope From High Court

Surat: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has got a big blow from the sessions court in Surat. Court dismissed Rahul's plea seeking stay on trial court's conviction in defamation case on 'Modi surname'. 

During a rally in Karnataka during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi made a statement regarding the 'Modi surname'. BJP MLA Purnesh Modi had filed a defamation case against Rahul regarding this statement. After 4 years, on March 23 last month, a lower court in Surat, Gujarat convicted Rahul Gandhi and sentenced him to two years in jail.

Now Rahul has hopes from High Court

Rahul Gandhi now has the option of applying to the High Court. Congress will file an application in the Ahmedabad High Court on Friday. Rahul Gandhi will challenge the decision of the Sessions Court in the High Court.

If Judge Mogera had accepted Rahul's petition, the way for his reinstatement in Parliament would have been opened.

We'll  use legal options: Cong

The Congress said that whatever options are available to us under the law, we will use them. Abhishek Manu Singhvi will hold a press conference on this at 4 pm today.

The BJP said that the pride of the Gandhi family has been shattered. OBC community is happy because Rahul Gandhi has insulted this community.

Gandhi's lawyer had filed two applications along with his appeal against the lower court's order sentencing him to two years in jail, one of them for bail and another for stay on conviction till the disposal of his appeal.

While granting bail to Gandhi on April 3, the court had issued notices to complainant Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Purnesh Modi and the state government for hearing on the Congress leader's plea for a stay of his conviction.

After hearing both the sides, the court on April 13 reserved its order on Gandhi's application for stay of conviction which was rejected on Thursday.

The court will next hear Gandhi's main appeal against the lower court's order sentencing him to two years in jail after convicting him in the case under Indian Penal Code sections 499 and 500 (defamation).