Defamation Case Against Rahul Gandhi Closed After Regret Statement Expressed Before MP High Court

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday closed criminal defamation proceedings against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after taking on record his public clarification and expression of regret over an alleged defamatory statement made during the 2018 Madhya Pradesh Assembly election campaign. The Court also directed that the proceedings pending before the trial court shall stand closed, bringing an end to the litigation arising from the political speech.

Justice Pramod Kumar Agrawal passed the order while disposing of Rahul Gandhi's petition filed under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) (corresponding to Section 482 of CrPC). The petition had challenged a December 13, 2024 order of the trial court taking cognisance of the offence under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code and summoning him in the criminal defamation complaint.

Rahul Gandhi was represented by Senior Advocates Vivek Krishna Tankha and Ajay Gupta, along with Advocates Aishwarya Sahu and Rajeev Mishra. Advocate Sankalp Kochar appeared for the respondent-complainant.

During the hearing, Rahul Gandhi placed on record an interlocutory application containing a statement explaining the circumstances surrounding the speech delivered at Jhabua on October 29, 2018. According to the statement, the reference made during the election campaign mistakenly included the respondent's name while referring to the widely reported Panama Papers controversy.

The application stated that Rahul Gandhi publicly clarified the very next day, on October 30, 2018, that he had intended to refer to the son of the former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh and not the respondent or the respondent's father, who was then serving as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. The application further stated that he continued to stand by that clarification and expressed regret for the mistake while seeking closure of the proceedings.

The respondent also filed a written reply before the High Court stating that, in view of the subsequent developments and the regret expressed by Rahul Gandhi, he did not intend to escalate the dispute further. The complainant requested that both the High Court proceedings and the pending trial court case be closed after incorporating Rahul Gandhi's statement into the final order.

Senior Advocate Vivek Krishna Tankha submitted that the applicant had expressed regret and that the respondent had accepted the same in the written reply, leaving no surviving dispute between the parties. Counsel appearing for the respondent similarly informed the Court that, considering the clarification and regret contained in the application, the proceedings before both courts could be brought to an end.

Accepting the submissions made by both sides, the High Court held that the applicant had expressed regret for the alleged defamatory statement and that the complainant had agreed to the closure of the proceedings. The Court accordingly terminated the petition pending before it and directed that the complaint pending before the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Special Judge (MP & MLA), Bhopal, shall also stand closed.

Recording its conclusion, the Court observed, "Considering the statement of applicant mentioned in I.A. No. 14821/2026 and the reply filed to the aforesaid IA as well as arguments advanced by learned counsel for both the sides wherein regret has been expressed by applicant, the proceedings before this Court are closed and proceedings pending before the JMFC, Special Judge (MP & MLA) complaint case no. SCPPM No. 03/2018 Bhopal shall also stand closed."

The Court thereafter disposed of the petition and directed that a copy of the order be forwarded to the concerned trial court for information and necessary compliance.

With the complainant accepting Rahul Gandhi's clarification and expressing no desire to continue the litigation, the High Court's order effectively brings the nearly eight-year-old dispute arising from the 2018 election campaign speech to a close, without any further criminal proceedings continuing against the Congress leader in the matter.

Case Title: Rahul Gandhi v. Kartikey Singh Chauhan

Date of Order: June 25, 2026

Bench: Justice Pramod Kumar Agrawal