New judge to hear Rahul Gandhi's appeal against conviction on Saturday

The appeal filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi against the Surat sessions court's order denying a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case will be heard by a new judge of the Gujarat High Court on Saturday.

According to the cause list published by the high court, Justice Hemant Prachchhak will hear the matter on Saturday.

Justice Gita Gopi, who was earlier assigned to hear the matter, had recused herself from the hearing on April 26.

On March 23, a metropolitan magistrate's court in Surat had sentenced Rahul Gandhi to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed by Gujarat BJP MLA Purnesh Modi. Following the verdict, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as a Member of Parliament (MP) under the Representation of the People Act.

The Congress leader then challenged the order in a sessions court in Surat, along with an application seeking a stay on the conviction. The court, while granting bail to Rahul Gandhi, refused to stay his conviction. A stay on the conviction could lead to Rahul Gandhi's reinstatement as an MP.

The criminal defamation case was filed against Rahul Gandhi for his remark made during an election rally in Kolar, Karnataka, in April 2019, where he had said, "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?"