Karnataka High Court dismisses PIL against Rahul Gandhi in Prajwal Revanna Case

Team Udayavani, Oct 21, 2024, 3:54 PM IST

Rahul Gandhi (Credit: PTI / File)

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking action against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for allegedly spreading false information against former MP Prajwal Revanna. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the petitioners.

The PIL was filed by the All India Dalit Action Committee’s National President Chi Na Ramu and National Women’s Wing President Sushila Devaraj. It accused Rahul Gandhi of falsely claiming that Prajwal Revanna had committed heinous acts against 400 girls during the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign. The petition sought legal action against Gandhi for his statements.

A division bench of Chief Justice N.V. Anjaria and Justice K.V. Aravind heard the case and ruled that the petition lacked public interest and ordered the petitioners to pay the fine to the welfare fund for advocates’ clerks.

The petitioners’ lawyer, S.S. Ravishankar, argued that Rahul Gandhi’s statements were reckless and damaged the dignity of women, particularly those in Hassan, and called for action. He also referred to previous statements by Gandhi, such as his controversial remarks about people with the Modi surname, which had led to the suspension of his Lok Sabha membership before the Supreme Court intervened.

However, the court, after hearing the arguments, found the petition baseless and dismissed it with the imposed penalty.