Sultanpur (UP), Jun 5 A special MP/MLA court here on Friday fixed June 25 for hearing arguments on a revision petition filed in a defamation case against Congress leader and Rae Bareli MP Rahul Gandhi.
Petitioner Vijay Mishra counsel Santosh Kumar Pandey said the Special Additional District Judge will hear arguments on the revision petition challenging a lower court order that rejected a plea seeking collection of Gandhi's voice sample and its forensic comparison with a compact disc submitted by the complainant.
Pandey said the lower court's records, which had been summoned by the special court during the previous hearing, have now been received.
He added that while the original defamation case is listed for hearing on June 17, proceedings are likely to be limited to routine dates as the case file is presently before the special court hearing the revision petition.
According to the petitioner, the lower court had on May 2 rejected the application seeking Gandhi's voice sample and forensic examination of the audio recording. The revision petition against that order was subsequently admitted by the special court.
The defamation case was filed in October 2018 by Mishra, a BJP leader.
Gandhi surrendered before the court on February 20, 2024, following which he was granted bail on two sureties of Rs 25,000 each.
On July 26, 2024, Gandhi appeared before the MP/MLA court and recorded his statement, maintaining that he was innocent and describing the case as a political conspiracy.
The court thereafter directed the complainant to lead evidence, and witnesses have since been examined.
Earlier, Gandhi's statement was also recorded, during which the court asked him to present his defence and evidence in support of his claim of innocence. However, no defence evidence was submitted before the court, according to the complainant's counsel.
