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A special court hearing a defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday (Dec 3, 2025) over his alleged remarks about Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar said it should not comment on any order that has become final or unchallenged.
Mr Gandhi’s counsel, Advocate Milind Pawar, filed an application before Judicial Magistrate (First Class) (Special Judge for MP/MLA Court) Amol S Shinde, arguing that the complainant Satyaki Savarkar in 2023 “managed to secure a summons” not “on the basis of “strong coercion” but with “strong evidence”. haste and urgency” before the court.
Advocate Sangram Kolhatkar, representing Satyaki, great-nephew of VD Savarkar, objected to the application.
“The accused raised serious doubts about the functioning of the court. The predecessor of this court, after analyzing all the evidence, issued an indictment against the accused,” he said.
Justice Shinde agreed that Mr. Gandhi’s plea raised doubts about the functioning of the court.
If the Congress leader has any grievance against the issuance of the summons, he should challenge it in a competent court, the judge said.
“However, he cannot comment on an order that has not been challenged. Either he has to accept the order or challenge the order in a competent court. This court therefore orders that the accused may not comment on any order that has become final or has not been challenged,” the judge said.
In his defamation complaint, Satyaki Savarkar alleged that in a speech delivered in March 2023 in London, Rahul Gandhi claimed that VD Savarkar had written in a book that he and five to six of his friends once beat up a Muslim man and he (Savarkar) felt happy. No such incident ever happened and Savarkar never wrote it, the complaint said.
Published – 04 Dec 2025 01:35 IST
