Bengaluru news: Rahul Gandhi gets bail in defamation case

Bengaluru: Karnataka Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was granted bail by a court here on Friday in a defamation case filed by BJP MLC Keshav Prasad. Gandhi appeared before the 42nd Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court. DK Suresh, brother of former MP and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, had granted bail to Rahul Gandhi on the basis of assets worth Rs 75 lakh. The court has adjourned the hearing of the case till July 30. Advocates and Congress party workers stormed the court premises to welcome Rahul Gandhi. After the court proceedings, Congress party workers raised slogans in favour of Rahul Gandhi. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar left the court premises in the same car. A visibly happy Rahul Gandhi waved to party workers from the vehicle.

Earlier, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar welcomed Rahul Gandhi at the airport. The defamation case alleged that the Congress carried out propaganda by publishing full-page advertisements accusing the previous BJP government in Karnataka of taking 40 per cent commission for executing government projects. Prasad argued that during the assembly elections held last year, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar made false allegations to mislead the people of the state, for which they should be prosecuted under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). CM Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar appeared in court on June 1 and got bail. Rahul Gandhi, who is also a party in the case, remained absent despite giving an undertaking then. The BJP leader’s lawyer had sought that a non-bailable arrest warrant be issued against him.