Sultanpur,

02 July (HS): An MP-MLA court here on Wednesday postponed a hearing in a

defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over alleged offensive

statements made about Union Home Minister Amit Shah till July 14. BJP leader Vijay Mishra launched a defamation

suit against Gandhi in 2018. Advocate Santosh Kumar Pandey, arguing on Mishra's

behalf, stated that the court was set to interrogate a witness on Wednesday,

but the hearing was postponed due to the witness's absence. The MP-MLA court

issued a warrant for Gandhi in December 2023. Gandhi surrendered to the court

in February 2024 and was granted bail with two Rs 25,000 sureties apiece.

Gandhi

taped his testimony in court on July 26, 2024, professing innocence and

alleging that the lawsuit was part of a political plot against him. Mishra said

that the Congress leader made derogatory statements against Shah during the

Karnataka Assembly election campaign.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi