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The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the trial court proceedings against the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, in a criminal defamation case over his alleged Chowkidar Chor Hai remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Aparesh Kumar Singh also issued notice to the Maharashtra government and complainant MH Shrishrimal, seeking their responses in four weeks. Gandhis plea challenged the September 8 Bombay High Court order refusing to quash the defamation case. A defamation case was filed against the Congress leader over his 2018 remarks targeting the Prime Minister in connection with the Rafale fighter jet deal. Issue notice. Returnable in four weeks. Stay on trial, the bench ordered. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appeared for the Raebareli MP. The case stems from a complaint filed by BJP member Mahesh Shrishrimal, who alleged that Gandhi made defamatory remarks against Modi at a rally in Rajasthan in September 2018. The High Court had dismissed Gandhis petition against a Girgaon Magistrates order of August 28, 2019, for a proceeding against him on Shrishrimals complaint. (ANI) It ,however, continued its 2021 order directing the Magistrate to defer the hearing on the complaint for six weeks so that Gandhi could approach the Supreme Court. The complainant claimed that the remarks led to Modi being trolled across news channels and social media platforms. (ANI)
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