Senior Congress leader and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, was granted conditional bail on Wednesday by a special MP-MLA court in Chaibasa concerning a defamation case from 2018 linked to alleged comments he made about Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a public rally.

Gandhi appeared before Judge Supriya Rani Tigga’s court in Chaibasa at approximately 10:55 am, following a directive from the Jharkhand High Court. The court granted him bail on the condition that he fully cooperate with the trial proceedings, as reported.

Background of the Case

The case originates from a complaint lodged in 2018 by Pratap Kumar, who accused Gandhi of making defamatory remarks against Shah during a political rally in Chaibasa. Kumar claimed that the statements were intentionally made to damage the reputation and public image of the Union Minister.

Initially filed in Ranchi, the case was moved to Chaibasa in 2021. Gandhi’s legal team had previously approached the Jharkhand High Court to seek an exemption from personal appearance. On June 2, they contested a lower court’s order that summoned Gandhi to appear on June 26. His counsel later informed the court that Gandhi would be unable to attend on that date and requested a new appearance date of August 6, which the High Court approved.

Legal Proceedings and Bail

After the court appearance, Gandhi’s counsel Pranav Daripa told reporters, “Rahul Gandhi ji appeared before the court as directed by the High Court. He sought bail, which has now been granted with conditions. We will proceed with the next steps in accordance with the legal process.”

Another attorney, Dheeraj Kumar, noted that the court has specifically instructed Gandhi to cooperate during the trial, which will proceed under the jurisdiction of the Chaibasa MP-MLA special court.

Gandhi’s Trip to Jharkhand

Gandhi reached Jharkhand on Tuesday to participate in the funeral of the esteemed tribal leader and former state chief minister Shibu Soren, held in his ancestral village of Nemra, situated in the Ramgarh district.

As per officials, Gandhi journeyed to Chaibasa from Ranchi by helicopter, with a makeshift helipad established at Tata College Ground to accommodate his arrival.