New Delhi: The Supreme Court has given major relief to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by quashing the criminal defamation complaint and the magistrate's summons issued against him in the VD Savarkar defamation case.
A bench of Justice Deepankar Datta and Justice K Vinod Chandran ruled that the prosecution could not continue as the mandatory government sanction required under law was not obtained.
SC Says No Sanction, No Case
During the hearing, the Supreme Court observed that the required approval for prosecution was missing, making the continuation of the case legally unsustainable. Justice Deepankar Datta said that when sanction is mandatory and has not been granted, “there is no case” under the law.
The court was hearing Rahul Gandhi's plea challenging the Allahabad High Court order, which had earlier refused to cancel the summons issued by a Lucknow magistrate court.
Case Filed Over Savarkar Remarks
The defamation complaint was filed by advocate Nripendra Pandey, who alleged that Rahul Gandhi made objectionable remarks about Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar during a rally.
The complainant claimed that Gandhi's statements insulted Savarkar and hurt public sentiments. The Lucknow magistrate court had earlier taken cognizance of the complaint and issued summons to Gandhi, stating that the alleged remarks could promote hatred and ill-will against Savarkar.
UP Government Had Opposed Gandhi's Plea
The Uttar Pradesh government had earlier opposed Rahul Gandhi's challenge and argued before the Supreme Court that the allegations involved deliberate attempts to spread hatred and create social tension.
The state government had supported the complainant's stand that Gandhi's remarks required legal action. However, the Supreme Court found that the absence of mandatory sanction was a crucial legal issue and set aside the proceedings against Gandhi.