Probing link between Savarkar, Godse families not needed to decide defamation case: Pune court
A Pune court has held that looking into any possible family ties between Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar and MK Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse was not necessary to decide a defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Live Law reported.
The case pertains to a complaint filed by VD Savarkar's grand-nephew Satyaki Savarkar in April 2023 against Gandhi, accusing him of making fictitious, false and malicious remarks about the Hindutva ideologue.
As part of the proceedings, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha had sought details about the maternal family tree of Satyaki Savarkar. Gandhi claimed that the Hindutva ideologue's grand-nephew hid important facts about his maternal side, particularly that he is the grandson of Gopal Vinayak Godse, brother of Nathuram Godse.
However, the judge, Amol Shriram Shinde, rejected the plea, saying the case had nothing to do with the complainant's family tree and it wasn't relevant to the matter being heard, Bar and Bench reported.
'The case is not related or family tree of late Smt. Himani Ashok Savarkar [Satyaki Savarkar's mother] is not disputed in this case,' the order dated May 28 said. 'This court does not find any merits in the application of the accused…and [it]…is liable to be rejected.
The judge added that the case was only related to the alleged defamatory speech made by Gandhi in London against VD Savarkar. He further said that the burden of proof that Gandhi made defamatory statements against VD Savarkar lies with the complainant, Satyaki Savarkar, Live Law reported.
In April, a Pune court had accepted the Congress leader's request to convert the defamation case into a summons trial–allowing for detailed evidence and cross-examination–after he argued that his remarks were based on historical facts.
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