'Modi surname' defamation case: Rahul Gandhi's fate to be determined by Surat court on April 20

On Thursday, a sessions court in Surat announced that it would rule on Rahul Gandhi's request for a stay of conviction in a criminal defamation case stemming from his remark about the "Modi surname" on April 20. Judge R P Mogera of the Additional Sessions stated that he would issue the order on April 20 after listening to the arguments from both sides.

Congress leader was found guilty of making a comment "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname" at an election rally in 2019 and was given a two-year prison sentence by a metropolitan magistrate's court in Surat on March 23. Gandhi has appealed the decision to the sessions court after being found guilty and losing his status as a Member of Parliament as a result. In the interim, he pleaded for the conviction to be suspended as well.

Rahul Gandhi was barred from serving in the Lok Sabha as a member of Parliament as a result of his conviction. Additionally, he received notice that he needed to leave his official bungalow in the capital city. Rahul had appealed his conviction, calling it "erroneous" and "clearly perverse."

His attorneys contended that the trial was "not fair" and that the case did not call for the harshest penalty possible. Rahul Gandhi's request for a stay on conviction has been rejected by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi, the complainant in the case, who called the Congressman a "repeat offender" who frequently makes false statements.

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(With inputs from PTI)