Supreme Court Stays Defamation Trial Against Rahul Gandhi Over Remarks on Modi

The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed further proceedings in a trial court in Maharashtra in a criminal defamation case against Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi. The case stems from remarks Gandhi made in 2018 and 2019 about Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection with the Rafale fighter jet deal.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Aparesh Kumar Singh issued notice to the Maharashtra government and the complainant, Mahesh Shrishrimal, a BJP worker. The notices are returnable in four weeks. The court ordered that further proceedings before the trial court remain stayed in the interim.

Gandhi had challenged a September 8 order of the Bombay High Court that refused to quash the summons issued against him. Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Gandhi, told the bench that the legal issues were settled by earlier Supreme Court decisions and that the proceedings were not maintainable.

The complaint alleged that Gandhi used phrases such as “commander-in-thief” and “choro ke sardar” (leader of thieves) while criticizing the government’s handling of the Rafale procurement. Shrishrimal argued that the remarks defamed Modi and, by extension, the BJP as a political party. A metropolitan magistrate in Mumbai had issued summons in 2019 after finding a prima facie case under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code.

The Bombay High Court, in its September order, found no manifest illegality in the magistrate’s decision and declined to interfere. Gandhi then approached the Supreme Court. The stay does not resolve the merits of the defamation claim. It pauses the trial while the high court’s order is examined.

The case is one of several defamation proceedings Gandhi has faced over political speech. In a separate matter, the Supreme Court had previously stayed another defamation case involving similar language. Singhvi pointed to that precedent during Tuesday’s hearing.

The stay comes amid broader political tension over the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Opposition parties, including those in the INDIA bloc, have questioned the process and sought greater transparency on deletions. Gandhi and other leaders have filed a separate petition on that issue, though the registry has flagged procedural defects in that filing.

Tuesday’s order provides temporary relief in the Rafale-related defamation matter. The Maharashtra government and the complainant now have four weeks to respond. The court will take up the case again after that period. Until then, the trial court cannot proceed further.

The decision keeps the focus on the legal threshold for political speech in defamation cases involving public figures. How the Supreme Court ultimately weighs the high court’s reasoning will determine whether the summons stand or are set aside.