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Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Defamation case: Pune court rejects Rahul's plea seeking maternal family tree of Savarkar's kin
A Pune court rejected an application filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi seeking the maternal family tree of Satyaki Savarkar, the grandnephew of V D Savarkar. Satyaki Savarkar had filed a defamation complaint against Rahul for his alleged objectionable remarks against the Hindutva ideologue during a speech in London in March 2023. Satyaki's mother Himani Ashok Savarkar is the daughter of Gopal Godse, the younger brother of Nathuram Godse, Mahatma Gandhi's assassin. Rejecting Rahul's plea, special judge Amol Shinde of the MP/MLA court on May 28 observed that 'this case is related only to alleged defamatory speech made by the accused in London against VD Savarkar.' The order was uploaded on the court's website Saturday. According to Satyaki, Rahul had claimed in his speech that Savarkar had written a book in which Savarkar mentioned that he (Savarkar) and five to six of his friends were beating up a Muslim person, and they were 'delighted' about it. Satyaki said VD Savarkar had not written any such book, nor had such an incident ever happened. In his petition, Satyaki had stated that Gandhi had intentionally made false, malicious and wild allegations against Savarkar. Satyaki had submitted a few news reports as well as a YouTube link of a video of Gandhi's speech in London as evidence. Rahul's lawyer Milind Pawar had filed an application before the court seeking an English translation of the book 'Mazi Janmathep' authored by V D Savarkar, another book 'Hindutva' also authored by him, and the family tree of Satyaki Savarkar. Satyaki's lawyer Sangram Kolhatkar provided the same to advocate Pawar in the court. But, on March 28, advocate Pawar filed an application on behalf of Rahul saying, 'The complainant (Satyaki) has deliberately, systematically, very brilliantly avoided, and suppressed to disclose the family tree from his maternal side in the present complaint. Therefore this is one of the most important issues and circumstances in this case to decide on merits and that should be ascertained before plea and commencement of this trial… Therefore directions be issued to the complainant to file a family tree on the maternal side and explanation be sought on the suppression.' Advocate Kolhatkar called the application 'baseless, false and filed with malafide intent.' Rejecting the plea, the court, its order, stated that Satyaki is the grandson of one of the brothers of late V D Savarkar and the said case is not related to the family tree of his mother Himani Savarkar. 'Therefore, this court does not find any merit in the application of the accused (Rahul Gandhi). There is also no need to send the matter for further investigation. Hence the application sans merits and the same is liable to be rejected,' the court order stated. Meanwhile, Satyaki has filed an application requesting the court to direct Rahul Gandhi to produce the book that he quoted while making the alleged defamatory statement during his speech in London. Advocate Pawar is likely to reply to this application. The next hearing on this matter is scheduled on June 12.
Indian Express
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Savarkar defamation case: Complaint against Rahul Gandhi for ‘abstaining from recording his plea'
A complaint has been filed against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi before a court in Pune, claiming that he has on multiple occasions wilfully abstained from recording his plea in connection with the case of allegedly defaming freedom fighter and Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar. The complaint was filed after Gandhi failed to appear at the MP/MLA court in Pune, where special judge Amol Shinde had asked him to remain present on May 9 for recording his plea in the defamation case filed by V D Savarkar's grandnephew Satyaki Savarkar. 'Accordingly, the matter was on board today and posted for recording of Rahul Gandhi's plea. But he deliberately avoided recording his plea and caused hindrance to the progress of the trial. So, we moved a complaint application before the court and have prayed that strict action be initiated against him, seizure of his bail bond be ordered and coercive action be taken to secure his presence,' said advocate Sangram Kolhatkar, who represents Satyaki in the case. The court has sought a say from Gandhi's lawyer Milind Pawar on the complaint application. Meanwhile, on Friday, advocate Pawar was shown the video of Gandhi's speech in London on March 5, 2023, in which he allegedly made defamatory remarks against Savarkar. On April 7, Pawar had filed an application, seeking the video, along with a copy of book 'Mazi Janmathep' authored by V D Savarkar among other documents. On April 25, advocate Kolhatkar had submitted the said video in a pen drive, the book as well as the family tree of Satyaki Savarkar to the MP/MLA court. Pawar said, 'The video given to us in the pen drive was not playing. There must be some technical problems. So we informed the court about it. The video was played in the court today and given to us.' Pawar also said he sought an English translation of the book 'Mazi Janmathep' and family tree of Savarkar, along with another book 'Hindutva' authored by Savarkar, all of which were provided to him on Friday. Pawar submitted before the court that as they received the video, books and other material on Friday, more time be given for filing Gandhi's plea. The court then kept the matter for recording Gandhi's plea on May 28. On January 10, Gandhi had virtually appeared before the court in Pune. The court had then granted him bail and also allowed his application, seeking a permanent exemption from appearing personally in the court during the trial. The court, however, stated that his counsel should remain present for every hearing of the case. According to Satyaki, Gandhi had said that Savarkar had written a book in which he stated that he (Savarkar) and five to six of his friends were beating up a Muslim and were 'delighted' about it. Satyaki said V D Savarkar had not written any such book as claimed by Gandhi, nor has such an incident ever happened. In his petition, Satyaki had stated that Gandhi had intentionally made false, malicious and wild allegations against Savarkar. Satyaki had submitted a few news reports as well as a YouTube link of a video of Gandhi's speech in London as evidence. As per directions of the court, the Vishrambag police station in Pune conducted an inquiry and submitted a report on May 27 last year stating that Gandhi had allegedly defamed Savarkar in his speech before the Indian diaspora in London in March 2023.
Indian Express
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Rahul Gandhi's lawyer given video of alleged defamatory remarks on V D Savarkar
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday, through his lawyer before a court in Pune, received a pendrive carrying a video of his speech in which he allegedly made defamatory remarks against Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar. defamation complaint was filed by Savarkar's grandnephew Satyaki Savarkar in a Pune court against Gandhi for his alleged defamatory remarks against Savarkar during his speech in London on March 5, 2023. According to Satyaki, Gandhi had said that Savarkar had written a book in which he stated that he (Savarkar) and five to six of his friends beat up a Muslim and were 'delighted' about it. Satyaki said V D Savarkar had not written any such book as claimed by Gandhi, nor has such an incident ever happened. In his petition, Satyaki had stated that Gandhi had intentionally made false, malicious and wild allegations against Savarkar. With his complaint, Satyaki had submitted a few news reports as well as a YouTube link of a video of Gandhi's speech in London as evidence. Gandhi's counsel Milind Pawar had filed an application in the court on April 7, seeking this video, along with a copy of book 'Mazi Janmathep' authored by V D Savarkar and other documents. Accordingly, Satyaki's lawyer Sangram Kolhatkar submitted the said video in a pendrive, the book as well as family tree of Satyaki Savarkar to special judge Amol Shinde of the MP/MLA court in Pune. The court then handed it over to advocate Pawar, who sought time 'to go through and to verify the genuineness of the documents and pendrive in the interest of justice.' Advocate Pawar requested the court to give sufficient time for filing the plea (on whether to admit or reject the allegations) on behalf of Gandhi. Court then kept the matter for hearing on May 9. An informal discussion was held between the court and lawyers representing both the parties on whether to send the case to mediation. Meanwhile, in his application filed today, advocate Pawar sought V D Savarkar's book 'Hindutva', published in 1923, from the complainant Satyaki Savarkar. In February, advocate Pawar had filed an application praying that the case may be 'conducted as a summon trial in the interest of justice.' Pawar had stated that the registrar of the court had registered it as a 'summary trial' case. 'The present case raises complex questions of facts as well as law. Hence, it requires searching and detailed cross-examination, which may not be permissible under summary trial,' he had said. The court allowed Pawar's application for a summons trial. Pawar today submitted that 'book Hindutva and is very important for evidence in this summons trial.' When contacted, advocate Kolhatka said that the 'Hindutva' book is not related to the case. 'The defence should show in which of V D Savarkar's book, the objectionable content claimed by Rahul Gandhi is mentioned…,' he said. As per directions of the court, the Vishrambag police station of Pune city police had conducted an inquiry and submitted a report on May 27, 2024, that Gandhi had allegedly defamed Savarkar in his speech before the Indian diaspora in London in March 2023.
