A court in Nashik has closed a criminal defamation case filed against Rahul Gandhi over comments he made about Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, after the complainant chose to withdraw the complaint.
The case had been initiated by Devendra Bhutada in 2022, following remarks made by Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Bhutada alleged that the statements made by the Congress leader were defamatory and tarnished Savarkar’s reputation. Based on this allegation, a criminal complaint was filed before a court in Nashik.
During the proceedings, Gandhi had denied the accusations and pleaded not guilty. The court had earlier granted him bail, and the matter had been pending before the magistrate’s court for further hearings.
However, the complainant later approached the court seeking permission to withdraw the complaint. According to submissions made before the court, Bhutada cited personal reasons and difficulties in regularly attending the proceedings as the basis for his decision to discontinue the case.
Accepting the request, the Nashik court allowed the withdrawal and disposed of the complaint. With this order, the criminal defamation proceedings against Gandhi in connection with his remarks about Savarkar have formally come to an end.