Rahul Gandhi expresses regret in defamation case. What's the case?

Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has expressed regret before the Madhya Pradesh High Court over an allegedly defamatory statement concerning Kartikeya Singh, the son of Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

The development came in a defamation case filed by Kartikeya Singh, who alleged that Gandhi damaged his reputation by mentioning his name while referring to the Panama Papers leak during an election rally in Madhya Pradesh's Jhabua in 2018.

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What Rahul Gandhi told the court

According to an application filed before the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday, Gandhi said the statement in question was not related to Kartikeya Singh.

The application was submitted through his lawyer as part of Gandhi's challenge to the criminal proceedings initiated against him.

What is the case about?

Kartikeya Singh had filed a defamation complaint in a Bhopal court designated to hear cases involving MPs and MLAs.

In his complaint, Singh alleged that Gandhi linked his name to the Panama Papers controversy during a campaign speech in 2018, harming his public image.

Following the complaint, the Bhopal court issued a summons directing Gandhi to appear in person.

Why is the matter before the High Court?

Gandhi subsequently approached the Madhya Pradesh High Court seeking to quash both the summons and the defamation proceedings.

The High Court had earlier directed that records from the lower court be produced. Those records were submitted before the court on Wednesday.

Hearing scheduled on Thursday

Justice Pramod Kumar Agarwal is scheduled to hear Gandhi's petition on Thursday.

Advocate Sankalp Kochhar appeared before the High Court on behalf of the complainant, Kartikeya Singh.

The court will now decide on Gandhi's plea seeking relief from the summons and the continuation of the defamation case.