Rahul Gandhi to challenge defamation conviction in Gujarat court on April 3

Surat: Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader, will challenge his judgement in a criminal defamation case on Monday before a court in Surat, Gujarat.

According to sources on Sunday, Gandhi is expected to be present in the sessions court when the plea is entered contesting the lower court's decision sentencing him to two years in prison.

"A petition challenging the lower court order will be filed in the sessions court of Surat on Monday, with Rahul Gandhi remaining present," a member of his legal team said requesting anonymity.

Senior state and national leaders of the Congress will accompany him to Surat, sources said.

The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma here had on March 23 convicted Gandhi and sentenced him to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his “Modi surname” remarks.

It had held 52-year-old Gandhi guilty under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500.

The court had also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to appeal in a higher court.

Gandhi was on March 24 disqualified from the? Lok Sabha following his conviction by the Surat court in the criminal defamation case.

With PTI inputs