Rahul Gandhi gets bail in defamation case

Surat: A sessions court in Surat granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday after admitting his appeal against conviction in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remark in which he has been sentenced to two years in jail.

Gandhi (52), who was disqualified from the Lok Sabha after he was handed two-year jail term last month, was present in Additional Sessions Judge RP Mogera's court which granted him bail till the disposal of his appeal on a bond of Rs 15,000.

The court also issued a notice to complainant Purnesh Modi, a BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister, over the application for suspension of the conviction. It set April 13 for hearing the plea seeking the suspension of conviction and subsequent sentence. ''Gandhi's appeal against conviction was admitted by the sessions court. He also moved applications for bail and suspension of the conviction.

The court granted him bail till the disposal of his appeal,'' his lawyer Kirit Panwala said.

The four-time Lok Sabha MP, who reached Surat in the afternoon via a scheduled commercial flight along with sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, filed an appeal in the sessions court challenging his conviction in the case last month by a magistrate's court in the city.

He filed two additional applications along with the main plea -- the first for the suspension of sentence or for regular bail, and the second for the suspension of conviction.

The court allowed his first plea and granted him bail. On his plea for the suspension of conviction, the court issued a notice to complainant Purnesh Modi and kept the matter for hearing on April 13, the lawyer said.

BJP legislator Modi will have to file his response to the plea by April 10, Panwala said, adding the Gujarat government has also been made a respondent and issued a notice by the sessions court.

Gandhi also requested the court for exemption from personal appearance during the hearing and his prayer was allowed by the judge.

In a show of support for the former Congress president, party Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other leaders were present in the courtroom when the matter came up for hearing at around 3 pm.