Overview

• Rahul Gandhi surrendered to the MP-MLA Special Magistrate Court in Lucknow on July 15 to face a defamation complaint over his alleged 2022 remarks about Indian soldiers.
• The court granted him bail after he furnished a personal bond of ₹20,000 and two sureties of the same amount.
• In June, the Allahabad High Court dismissed his petition to quash the summons and ruled that speech rights do not extend to defamatory statements against the Army.
• The suit was filed by retired Border Roads Organisation director Uday Shankar Srivastava over Gandhi’s December 16, 2022, Bharat Jodo Yatra comment referencing a clash with Chinese troops.
• The next hearing is set for August 13, 2025, as Gandhi continues to navigate multiple legal challenges over his public remarks.