Gauhati HC blocks move to add witnesses in Rahul Gandhi defamation case

Guwahati: In a long-pending defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Gauhati High Court has overturned a lower court order that sought to introduce additional witnesses nearly a decade into the trial. The verdict brings significant relief to Gandhi as the legal battle enters its ninth year.

Justice Arun Dev Choudhury, presiding over the criminal revision petition, on Monday struck down a September 2023 order issued by the Additional Sessions Judge of Kamrup (Metro), who had allowed three new witnesses to be examined in the case.

The defamation case stems from a 2015 incident in Assam, where Gandhi alleged that members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had prevented him from entering the Barpeta Satra.

In response, RSS worker Anjan Kumar Bora filed a criminal defamation complaint, accusing Gandhi of making false and defamatory statements.

During the trial, the magistrate court recorded statements from six witnesses and rejected a plea to summon three more, citing insufficient grounds.

Bora later challenged this decision before the Sessions Court, which overruled the magistrate and permitted additional testimonies.

Gandhi’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate Angshuman Bora, contested this ruling in July 2024, prompting the High Court’s intervention.

In its judgment, the High Court criticised the Sessions Judge for acting in a “mechanical” manner and failing to justify the need for new witnesses.

Justice Choudhury noted that the petition seeking to summon more witnesses lacked clarity and detail, and upheld the magistrate's original decision as appropriate.

Calling the lower court's order "arbitrary" and lacking legal foundation, the High Court quashed it and directed the trial court to proceed swiftly with the case.

The court also underlined the need for speedy resolution, considering Gandhi’s role as a sitting Member of Parliament.