Rahul Gandhi asked to appear before Gujarat court on July 12 in defamation case

A court here has asked Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to appear before it in connection with criminal defamation suits filed against him by Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank and its chairman Ajay Patel.

complainants had moved court last year after Gandhi and Congress national spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala reportedly alleged that bank was involved in a "scam" to convert scrapped tes worth Rs 745.59 crore within five days of demonetisation anuncement on vember 8, 2016.

Gandhi was on April 9 summoned by court of Additional Metropolitan Magistrate S K Gadhvi to appear before it on May 27. But his counsel Monday sought more time for his client's appearance on ground that documents pertaining to testimonies of complainants and witnesses were yet to be translated into English from Gujarati.

Gandhi's counsel also submitted before court that his client will be at Shantivan in New Delhi on May 27 to pay tribute to India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru on his death anniversary. court n fixed July 12 for Gandhi to appear before it. It also asked Surjewala to appear before it on same date.

court had issued summonses to two leaders on April 9 after finding prima facie evidence against m.

complainants have said that two leaders levelled "false and defamatory allegations" against bank.

Based on testimonies of Patel as well as three or witnesses recorded on August 27 last year, court had conducted an inquiry under section 202 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) before summoning Gandhi and Surjewala.

CrPC section deals with inquiry into a case to decide wher or t re is sufficient ground for proceeding. BJP president Amit Shah is one of directors of ADCB.

allegations were made by Gandhi and Surjewala on basis of a response given by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development to an RTI query filed by a Mumbai-based activist.

In pleas filed through ir lawyer, ADCB and Patel had submitted before court that statements made by two Congress leaders were false because bank did t exchange such a huge amount of money.

y had said bank did t have so much (demonetised) money to exchange and claims of Gandhi and Surjewala were defamatory. PTI KA PD RSY