Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi received significant legal relief on Monday as the special MP-MLA court in Sultanpur acquitted him in a long-standing defamation case. Special Magistrate Shubham Verma pronounced the verdict after evaluating the evidence and arguments.
Gandhi arrived at the court premises under heavy security around 11:15 AM, and the courtroom doors were locked from the inside during the proceedings. The palpable anxiety among Congress workers and supporters gathered outside quickly transformed into celebrations following the announcement of the acquittal.
The legal dispute traces back to 2018 when Gandhi allegedly made objectionable remarks targeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a public rally in Karnataka. Taking offense to the political statement, Vijay Mishra—a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and the then-chairman of a cooperative bank—filed a defamation suit in the Sultanpur court on August 4, 2018. The complainant argued that Gandhi’s remarks had severely tarnished the image of his leader and the party, triggering a protracted legal battle.
The judicial process witnessed several key milestones over the years. Gandhi was formally summoned by the court on November 27, 2023. Complying with the summons, he appeared before the court on February 20, 2024, and was granted bail. His formal statements were subsequently recorded on July 26, 2024, and later on February 20, 2026.
During the course of the trial, a petition was moved demanding a voice sample match, which the court outrightly dismissed on May 2, 2026. Following the conclusion of final arguments from both the prosecution and the defense on October 13, the special court had reserved its judgment for October 26, culminating in today’s verdict.
