Rahul Gandhi pleads 'not guilty' in defamation case for alleging RSS hand in Gauri Lankesh's murder, Rs 15,000 surety given at Mumbai court

Rahul Gandhi on Thursday plead t guilty in defamation case filed against him by a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker. He was summoned by a Mumbai court in case. He has been released on a surety of Rs 15,000 and a former MP Eknath Gaikwad has given surety.

RSS worker Dhrutiman Joshi had filed a defamation case against Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Sitaram Yechury and Communist Party of India (Marxist) for defaming RSS following death of Gauri Lankesh in Feburary 2019.  Mazgaon Metropolitan Magistrate court had summoned Gandhi and Yechury in case on Thursday. It had dismissed complaint against Sonia Gandhi and CPI(M).

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complaint against Gandhi scion

In complainant, Dhrutiman Joshi stated that Rahul Gandhi, within 24-hours of murder of journalist, had criticised RSS and alleged that "anybody who speaks against ideology of BJP, against ideology of RSS is pressured, beaten, attacked and even killed."

Lankesh, a senior journalist was murdered at her residence in Bengaluru on September 5, 2017.

For a mere political score, accused had unnecessarily dragged name of RSS and it in a move to rake up negative sentiments in minds of people against RSS," complaint stated. ​​​​​​​Joshi had requested court to charge duo under section 499 (defamation) and section 500 (punishment for defamation) of Indian Penal Code (IPC).

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Previous defamation case against Congress president

This is second defamation petition against Rahul Gandhi in Maharashtra. Ar RSS activist Rajesh Kunte had, in 2014, filed a defamation case against Gandhi over a statement made by him at an election rally, where he had blamed RSS for Mahatma Gandhi's assassination.

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(With ncy inputs)