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Supreme Court relief for Rahul Gandhi in Modi surname case.

News On Time Desk 04 August 2023

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today suspended the conviction of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case over his remarks about the "Modi" surname. The order will allow him to return to parliament and contest national elections due next year.

The jury, comprising Justices BR Gavai, PS Narasimha and PV Sanjay Kumar, said the trial court did not give any specific grounds for the maximum two-year prison term for defamation under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as the offense was not identifiable .

The Supreme Court also held that the verdict (of conviction) had far-reaching implications, affecting the rights of voters in the Wayanad constituency represented by Gandhi as a member of the Lok Sabha.

Following his conviction in the case, he was expelled from Parliament.

At the same time, the court emphasized that people in public life should exercise caution when speaking out.

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