Court rejects Rahul’s plea for suspension of sentence
Reinstatement as MP seems distant dream
In a major blow to Rahul Gandhi, the sessions court in Surat on Thursday dismissed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s plea seeking suspension of his conviction in the defamation case that led to his disqualification from Parliament.
The court had convicted Rahul Gandhi on March 23 for his remarks made during an election rally in Kolar in April 2019, where he had said that “all people with the Modi surname are thieves”.
The court sentenced him to two years in prison and he was disqualified as a member of Lok Sabha the next day.
Rahul Gandhi’s lawyers had filed two applications, one for bail till the disposal of his appeal and another for suspension of his conviction until the appeal is decided.
The Surat Sessions Court had granted bail to the Congress leader on April 3, who had filed an appeal following his conviction in the case. While granting bail to the former MP, the court also issued notices to complainant Purnesh Modi and the state government on the Congress leader’s plea for a stay on his conviction. It heard both parties and then reserved the order for April 20.
During the hearing, Rahul Gandhi’s lawyer argued that the trial in the case was “not fair” and there was no need for maximum punishment in the case. Gandhi submitted that if the trial court’s judgment is not suspended and stayed, it will cause irreparable damage to his reputation. He said the excessive sentence is contrary to the law on the subject and unwarranted in the present case which has overriding political overtones.
Rahul Gandhi also stated that his conviction was “erroneous” and “patently perverse” and the trial court treated him harshly after being overwhelmingly influenced by his status as an MP. He said that he was sentenced in a manner to attract the order of disqualification because the trial court was well aware of his status as a parliamentarian. The court rejected Rahul Gandhi’s plea, which means that he cannot be reinstated as an MP.