Pune: A court here on Thursday issued an order directing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to appear before it in a complaint filed by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s grandnephew accusing him of defaming the Hindutva ideologue, the petitioner’s lawyer claimed.
While Rahul Gandhi was not represented by any lawyer during the hearing, the detailed order was yet to be made available.
The order was passed by judicial magistrate (first class) Akshi Jain.
It came two days after Pune police stated in a report that there was prima facie truth in the complaint filed by Satyaki Savarkar who alleged that the Congress leader defamed the late freedom fighter in a speech made in London in 2023.
The order stated that the next hearing would be on August 19, 2024, and the stage was “appearance”.