Rahul Gandhi gets bail in defamation case

Bengaluru, June 7 (IANS) A court here on Friday granted bail to senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case filed by Karnataka BJP MLC Keshav Prasad.

Gandhi appeared before the 42nd Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court.

Former MP and Dy CM D.K. Shivakumar’s brother D.K. Suresh had given surety of property worth Rs 75 lakh to Rahul Gandhi. The court has adjourned the matter till July 30. The advocates and Congress party workers had swarmed the court premises to welcome Rahul Gandhi.

After the court proceedings, the Congress party workers raised slogans in favour of Rahul Gandhi. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Dy CM Shivakumar left the court premises in the same car. Rahul Gandhi, who seemed to be in a happy mood, waved at party workers from the vehicle.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi was welcomed by Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar at the airport.

The defamation case alleges that the Congress engaged in propaganda by publishing full-page advertisements accusing the previous BJP government in Karnataka of charging 40 per cent commission for handling government projects.

Prasad argued that during the Assembly elections held last year, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar levelled false allegations to misguide the people of the state for which they should face action under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

CM Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar appeared before the court on June 1 and got bail. Rahul Gandhi, who is also a party to the case, remained absent despite giving an undertaking then.

The counsel for the BJP leader had sought that a non-bailable arrest warrant be issued against him.