Pune Court Summons Rahul Gandhi In Defamation Case For Accusing Savarkar Of Seeking 'Pleasure' In Assaulting Muslim Man

A Pune court has summoned Congress leader and Member of Parliament (MP) Rahul Gandhi to appear in person on 2 December in connection with a criminal defamation case filed by Satyaki Savarkar, the grand-nephew of Hindutva icon Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

The order was issued by Special MP/MLA Court Judge Amol Shinde, who had previously directed Gandhi to appear on 23 October. However, Gandhi's counsel informed the court that the earlier summons had not been received.

Advocate Sangram Kolhatkar, representing the complainant, requested the issuance of fresh summons, while Advocate Milind Pawar, representing Gandhi, assured the court that his client would appear on the next scheduled date.

The defamation complaint arises from a remark made by Gandhi during a speech in London in March 2023. In the speech, Gandhi allegedly stated that Savarkar had written about an incident where he and a group of friends had assaulted a Muslim man, a moment Savarkar purportedly claimed to have taken "pleasure" in.

Satyaki Savarkar has denied the presence of any such statement in Savarkar's writings and alleges that Gandhi's remarks are defamatory.

In his application, Satyaki has sought the maximum penalty for Gandhi under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which deals with punishment for criminal defamation. He has also demanded the maximum compensation permissible under Section 357 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which empowers courts to order compensation to victims of crimes.