Court fines Rahul Gandhi Rs 200 for skipping hearing in Savarkar remarks case

New Delhi, Mar 6: A court in Lucknow fined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Rs 200 on Wednesday for not appearing in a case against him. The case was filed over comments he made about Vinayak Damodar Savarkar during his 2022 Bharat Jodo rally in Maharashtra, as reported by Bar and Bench.

Judge Alok Verma had earlier ruled that Gandhi’s remarks, claiming Savarkar worked for the British and received a pension, could spread hatred in society. Because of this, the court had asked Gandhi to appear. However, he did not show up on March 5, leading to the fine.

The case was filed by lawyer Nripendra Pandey, who accused Gandhi of promoting enmity and spreading misinformation under sections 153A and 505 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Pandey was upset over Gandhi’s speech on November 17, 2022, where he alleged Savarkar collaborated with the British. Pandey argued that these comments were meant to stir hatred and that Mahatma Gandhi had called Savarkar a patriot.

Initially, in June 2023, a magistrate dismissed Pandey’s complaint. But when he challenged the decision, a higher court ordered the case to be reconsidered. As a result, the magistrate issued a summons for Gandhi.