Rahul Gandhi Acquitted in 2018 Defamation Case Over Amit Shah Remarks

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was acquitted in a defamation case by a special MP-MLA court in Sultanpur on Monday, bringing an end to proceedings linked to remarks he made about Amit Shah during the 2018 Karnataka Assembly election campaign.

Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and MP from Raebareli, appeared before the court for the pronouncement of the verdict.

Vijay Mishra Filed Complaint in 2018

The criminal defamation complaint was filed on August 4, 2018, by local BJP leader Vijay Mishra, a former chairman of the District Cooperative Bank in Sultanpur.

The case concerned remarks Gandhi allegedly made about Amit Shah, who was BJP national president at the time, during a rally in Bengaluru ahead of the 2018 Karnataka elections.

Court Acquits Rahul Gandhi

Mishra's lawyer Santosh Pandey confirmed that the court had acquitted Gandhi.

The detailed reasoning behind the verdict was not immediately available in the initial reports.

The court had reserved its verdict after hearing arguments earlier this month. The judgment was initially expected on October 13 before being rescheduled for October 26, 2026.

Gandhi Had Earlier Secured Bail

Gandhi had previously appeared before the court in connection with the case and secured bail.

During the proceedings, the complainant had sought comparison of Gandhi's voice sample with a recording of the Bengaluru speech. That request was rejected by the trial court, and subsequent challenges were also unsuccessful.

Congress Workers Celebrate Outside Court

Congress workers gathered outside the Sultanpur court complex following the verdict and celebrated Gandhi's acquittal.

Security had been tightened around the court ahead of the judgment because of the high-profile nature of the proceedings.

Rahul Gandhi Appeared in Person

The Rahul Gandhi acquitted defamation case verdict came after the Congress leader travelled to Sultanpur to attend the proceedings in person.

His journey to the court also drew attention after several vehicles travelling behind his convoy were involved in a minor collision on the Purvanchal Expressway. Gandhi was safe, and police said there were no reported injuries.

The Sultanpur verdict concludes this particular 2018 criminal defamation case concerning Gandhi's remarks about Amit Shah.