The Jharkhand High Court has imposed a cost on Congress MP Rahul Gandhi as a condition for granting him additional time in a criminal defamation case. The case stems from remarks he allegedly made at a 2018 event in Chaibasa, where he insinuated that individuals facing murder charges could still become leaders in the BJP. This comment prompted a complaint from Pratap Kumar, who deemed it defamatory.

Despite multiple delays sought by Gandhi’s legal team, the court—presided over by Justice Anil Kumar Choudhary—granted another adjournment on 9 but made it contingent upon Gandhi depositing ₹2,000 with the Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority (JHALSA) within three weeks. Failure to comply would result in outright dismissal of the petitio2n without further notice

This follows a similar earlier arrangement in May 2024, when Gandhi was permitted an extension only after depositing ₹1,000 with JHALSA. The court emphasized that the case cannot remain indefinitely pending due to repetitive adjournment requests.

The origins of the matter trace back to a complaint filed in 2018, which initially was not pursued by the trial court in Chaibasa. However, upon challenge, the order was overturned and cognizance of the matter was taken under IPC Section 500. The matter then advanced through the revision process.

In May 2022, Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi of the High Court had granted Gandhi interim protection from coercive action while issuing notice to the complainant. However, in May 2023, that protection was lifted because Gandhi was not prepared for hearing.

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