Jharkhand HC stays warrant against Rahul Gandhi over remark on Amit Shah

The Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday clamped a stay order on the operation of a non-bailable arrest warrant issued against senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by a court in Chaibasa.

The special court in Chaibasa had issued a non-bailable arrest warrant on 27 February against Gandhi for his non-appearance and participation in the trial of a defamation case.

Later, Gandhi had challenged the order before the high court in state capital Ranchi. After hearing the matter, the HC imposed a stay of 30 days on the operation of the non-bailable arrest warrant.

Gandhi had allegedly made a defamatory remark about Union home minister Amit Shah during a rally in Chaibasa before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

One Pratap Kumar of Chaibasa had filed the case against Gandhi for his remark. In his petition filed before the court of the magistrate in Chaibasa, Kumar said Gandhi’s statements were defamatory and made purposely to malign the image of Shah.