A court in Pune 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 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 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".
Advocate Sangram Kolhatkar, lawyer of Satyaki Savarkar, claimed that the judge had asked Gandhi to appear before the court on that date.
It was not clear immediately if the Congress leader was expected to be present, or can appear through his lawyer. -- PTI
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