Chaibasa MP-MLA Court issues non-bailable warrant against Rahul Gandhi

THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK

Chaibasa, May 24: The MP-MLA special court in Chaibasa has issued a non-bailable warrant against Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and directed him to appear in court on June 26.

Rahul Gandhi’s lawyer had filed a petition under Section 205 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), seeking exemption from personal appearance, but the court rejected the plea and ordered him to be present in person.

The case, originally filed in the CJM court, was transferred to the Ranchi MP-MLA Special Court on February 20, 2020, following a directive from the Jharkhand High Court. Later, it was moved to the Chaibasa MP-MLA Special Court, which took cognizance of the matter and issued a summons to Rahul Gandhi. However, he did not appear.

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What is the Case About?

The case dates back to 2018. On March 28, 2018, during a speech at the All India Congress Committee’s plenary session, Rahul Gandhi had allegedly made sharp remarks against BJP leaders, calling them “murderers” and “liars.”

In response, BJP leader Pratap Kumar filed a defamation case against Rahul Gandhi in the Chaibasa CJM court on July 9, 2018.

After the initial hearing and witness statements, the Jharkhand High Court ordered the case to be transferred to the Ranchi MP-MLA Special Court in February 2020. It was later moved again to the Chaibasa MP-MLA Special Court following another High Court directive.

Upon taking cognizance of the case, the court issued a summons to Rahul Gandhi, but he failed to appear. Consequently, a bailable warrant was issued, which he also ignored.

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Rahul Gandhi challenged the warrant in the High Court, but the petition was disposed of on March 20, 2024. He then filed another application in the Chaibasa court under Section 205 CrPC for exemption from appearance, which was again rejected.

Subsequently, he filed a fresh petition in the Jharkhand High Court challenging the lower court’s decision, but on March 10, 2025, he withdrew it, stating his intention to file a criminal miscellaneous petition instead.

Following this, the High Court revoked the interim stay granted earlier on April 25, 2024. Finally, on May 22, 2025, the Chaibasa court once again issued a non-bailable warrant against Rahul Gandhi.