Rahul Gandhi Seeks to Quash Jharkhand Court’s Non-Bailable Warrant

He argues the warrant is premature pending a decision on his petition for exemption from personal appearance under Section 205 of the CrPC.

Overview

Rahul Gandhi filed a petition on June 2 in the Jharkhand High Court challenging a non-bailable warrant issued May 22 by the MP-MLA Special Court in Chaibasa.
The warrant stems from a 2018 defamation complaint by Pratap Kumar over remarks Gandhi made at an AICC session calling BJP leaders “murderers” and “liars.”
Gandhi’s legal team contends the Chaibasa court acted improperly by issuing the warrant while his exemption plea under CrPC Section 205 remains under consideration.
The lower court has directed him to appear in person on June 26 despite a 2022 interim protection order and the high court’s February decision to uphold the defamation proceedings.
This is one of three defamation suits Gandhi faces in Jharkhand for comments targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former BJP president Amit Shah.