Supreme Court Imposes Fine on Advocate Challenging Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha Membership

Supreme Court Imposes Fine on Advocate Challenging Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha Membership

VoM News Desk | January 19, 2024 | 04:31 PM IST | Breaking News, Courts & Law | Follow on Google News

Supreme Court Imposes Fine on Advocate Challenging Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha Membership

Supreme Court Imposes Fine on Advocate Challenging Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha Membership

In a significant development, the Supreme Court has imposed a hefty cost of Rs one lakh on Lucknow-based advocate Ashok Pandey. The advocate had challenged the restoration of Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha membership, terming it frivolous and a waste of judicial time. This ruling comes in the wake of Gandhi’s disqualification following a two-year imprisonment in a criminal defamation case related to his ‘Modi surname’ remark.

Frivolous Challenge to Lok Sabha Restoration

Ashok Pandey, in his plea before the Supreme Court, contested the restoration of Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha membership. Gandhi had initially lost his membership after being convicted in the criminal defamation case. Pandey argued that the Speaker was not justified in reinstating his lost membership. The court had previously dismissed a similar plea by Pandey concerning the restoration of Lok Sabha membership for another political figure.

Gujarat High Court Affirms Conviction

The legal saga surrounding Rahul Gandhi’s defamation case took another turn when the Gujarat High Court affirmed the decision of a Sessions court. This Sessions court had refused to stay a magisterial court order convicting Gandhi and imposing the maximum punishment for criminal defamation. The High Court rejected Gandhi’s plea, emphasizing that seeking a stay on conviction should be based on valid grounds. The conviction stemmed from Gandhi’s remarks about the ‘Modi’ surname made during a rally in Karnataka in April 2019. The legal proceedings underscore the complexity and consequences of criminal defamation cases involving political figures.

VoM News Desk

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