The MP High Court closed the defamation case against Rahul Gandhi

Earlier on Wednesday (June 24, 2026), Mr Gandhi filed a written statement in the Supreme Court expressing regret over the statement made during an election rally in Jhabua. File. | Photo credit: ANI

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday (June 25, 2026) closed a defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, a day after he expressed remorse for his remarks allegedly against Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s son Kartikeya Singh Chouhan.

Single Judge Pramod Kumar Agrawal in Jabalpur delivered the judgment on a petition by Mr. Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, seeking relief in a defamation case filed against him by Mr. Kartikeya in the MP/MLA court in Bhopal. When the announcement was made in 2018, Mr. Shivraj Singh was the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.

Earlier on Wednesday (June 24, 2026), Mr Gandhi filed a written statement in the Supreme Court expressing regret over a statement made during an assembly election rally in Jhabua district in October 2018, saying he had “mistakenly” named Mr Kartikeya while referring to the Panama Papers.

“After discovering that the respondent’s name had appeared erroneously in the said statement, the very next day – i.e. 30 October 2018 – the complainant (Mr. Gandhi) publicly clarified that whom he intended to mention was the son of the former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, who was named in the widely reported Panama Papers, his father Karti, the then Panama Papers controversy and not the Chief. of Madhya Pradesh, the complainant thus expressing his regret,” Mr. Gandhi said in his statement.

Mr. Kartikeya approached the MP/MLA court in Bhopal, which summoned Mr. Gandhi to appear in person in December 2024.

The Supreme Court observed that Mr. Kartikeya had accepted Mr. Gandhi’s remorse.

“The appellant’s lead counsel submits that the appellant has expressed his remorse, which has been accepted on behalf of the respondent in a written reply, and the respondent also agrees that the proceedings in this court and in the trial court be terminated,” the High Court order read.

“In view of the statement of the applicant and the reply filed to the above IA (interim application) as well as the arguments raised by the learned counsel for both the parties, for which the applicant has expressed regret, the proceedings before this Court are closed and the proceedings before the JMFC, Special Judge (MP & MLA) Bhopal shall also be closed,” the order said.

Published – June 26, 2026 0:07 AM IST