RSS Defamation Case: Rahul pleads not guilty, released on surety of Rs 15,000

A day after publicly announcing his resignation as Congress president, Rahul Gandhi landed in Mumbai on Thursday. He reached Mumbai at 10:13 AM and reached the Shivari Court by 10:33 PM. Gandhi pleaded not guilty and was released on surety amount of Rs 15,000. 

After leaving court a delighted Gandhi said, " aakraman ho raha hai, mazaa aa raha hai". Milind Deora, Sanjay Nirupam and other Congress leaders accompanied Rahul Gandhi to the airport. 

Defamation case filed against Rahul Gandhi for allegedly linking Gauri Lankesh's murder with "BJP-RSS ideology": Rahul Gandhi pleads not guilty. He has been released on Rs 15000 surety amount. Ex MP Eknath Gaikwad has given surety for Rahul Gandhi. pic.twitter.com/QVGlntFi2L

— ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2019

An RSS activist has filed a defamation case against Gandhi for allegedly linking the organisation to the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh.

In February, earlier this year, RSS Swayam Sevak Dhrutiman Joshi had filed a defamation case against Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Sitaram Yechury and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) for defaming the RSS following the death of Gauri Lankesh.

Later, the Mazgaon court had issued summons to Gandhi and Yechury for questioning in connection with the case. The court, had, however, dismissed the complaint against Sonia Gandhi and the CPI (M). 
Lankesh, a senior journalist was murdered at her residence in Bengaluru on September 5, 2017.

In the complainant, Dhrutiman Joshi stated that Rahul Gandhi, within 24-hours of the murder of the journalist, criticised the RSS and alleged that "anybody who speaks against the ideology of the BJP, against the ideology of the RSS is pressured, beaten, attacked and even killed."

Joshi said that Sitaram Yechury was also heard and seen saying that it was the RSS ideology and the RSS men who killed Gauri Lankesh.

"For a mere political score, the accused had unnecessarily dragged the name of RSS and it in a move to rake up negative sentiments in the minds of the people against the RSS," the complaint stated.

Joshi had requested the court to charge the duo under section 499 (defamation) and section 500 (punishment for defamation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). 

#WATCH Congress supporters gather outside Mumbai court where Rahul Gandhi has arrived in connection with a defamation case filed against him in 2017 for allegedly linking Gauri Lankesh's murder with "BJP-RSS ideology". He was accompanied by Mallikarjun Kharge & Milind Deora. pic.twitter.com/FtF5doIcgD

— ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2019

With inputs from ANI