Rahul Gandhi reaches Mumbai, set to appear in court in RSS defamation case

Thane: Congress President Rahul Gandhi will on Tuesday appear in a court in Maharashtra's Bhiwandi in a criminal defamation case filed against him for his alleged remarks against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

According to Narayan Iyer, a criminal lawyer from Bhiwandi appearing for Rahul Gandhi, the court is likely to frame charges against the Congress chief in the 2014 case.

The defamation case arises out of Rahul Gandhi's alleged statement at an election rally on March 6, 2014, linking the RSS - the BJP's ideological mentor - to Mahatma Gandhi's assassination.

Last week, Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam said Rahul Gandhi would appear in the Bhiwandi court at around 11 am.

On May 2, the court had asked Gandhi to appear before it on June 12.

It had heard arguments on Rahul Gandhi's application, seeking a detailed recording of evidence instead of a 'summary trial' (where only the summary of evidence is recorded by court).

Rajesh Kunte, a local worker of the RSS, had filed the case.