Bhiwandi court likely to frame charges against Gandhi today

Mumbai: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is likely to appear before a local court in Bhiwandi on Monday in a case filed against him for his alleged defamatory speech against Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination during 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress vice-president had secured bail in the last case hearing in November 2016. On Monday, the court is likely to frame charges against Mr Gandhi after which the trial would begin.

Mr Gandhi had appeared before magistrate Tushar B. Waje on November 16 last year, almost two years after the court had issued summons against him. He had challenged the summons in the high court and later in the Supreme Court (SC). However, the SC had refused to interfere with the criminal proceedings pending against him before the trial court, after the Congress leader said that he stood by what he had said and expressed his readiness to face the trial.

Though in Bhiwandi court too, complainant Rajesh Kunte’s lawyer Nandu Phadke had told the court that the complaint would be withdrawn if Mr Gandhi is ready to tender an apology and submit a written undertaking that he would not repeat such speeches in future. However, nobody from Mr Gandhi’s side replied to this and hence the court proceeded further.

Since the alleged offence was bailable, Mr Gandhi was granted bail after his lawyer Narayan Iyer moved bail plea.