New Delhi, 13 October (H.S.): The Supreme Court has temporarily stayed proceedings in a criminal defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his alleged remarks describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the “chief of thieves” and “Commander-in-Thief”. The order was passed by a Bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath.

The Supreme Court issued notices to the Maharashtra government and the complainant, M. H. Shirishmal, seeking their responses within four weeks. It also stayed further proceedings before the trial court.

The apex court passed the order while hearing a challenge to the Bombay High Court’s September 8 order, which had refused to quash the summons issued to Rahul Gandhi in the case.

The case originated when a Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in Girgaon, Mumbai, ordered the initiation of legal proceedings against Gandhi and issued summons to him on August 28, 2019. BJP worker Mahesh Shirishmal had filed a criminal defamation complaint against the Congress leader.

The complainant alleged that Gandhi’s remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an election rally in Rajasthan in September 2018 had defamed not only the Prime Minister but also other BJP members and citizens associated with the party.

Seeking to have the magistrate’s order and the summons quashed, Rahul Gandhi approached the Bombay High Court. However, the High Court dismissed his petition, finding no apparent infirmity in the magistrate’s order. It held that the issues raised in the case should be decided by the trial court on the basis of evidence presented during the proceedings.

The Supreme Court’s latest order temporarily halts the trial court proceedings while the matter remains under consideration.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar