'Defamation' of Savarkar: court says it can't compel Rahul Gandhi to produce 'book' cited by him
Pune, July 3 (PTI): A court here on Thursday rejected a plea by the grandnephew of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar seeking access to a `book' cited by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi while allegedly making defamatory remarks against the late freedom fighter.
The Congress leader cannot be compelled to produce the book, said judge Amol Shinde of the special court for MPs and MLAs.
Satyaki Savarkar, the complainant in the case, had filed the application in May, claiming no such book as cited by Gandhi existed, and he should be asked to produce it if it did.
The court, in its order, said the accused cannot be compelled to disclose his defense before the commencement of the trial.
"The accused may produce any relevant documents during the presentation of his defense evidence. If the accused is compelled to produce such evidence prematurely, it would amount to violation of his fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 20(3) of the Constitution of India, which protects against self-incrimination," the order stated.
"As per Article 20(3)...'No person accused of any offence shall be compelled to be a witness against himself. Therefore, this Court is of the opinion that an order cannot be passed directing the accused to file the incriminating documents," the judge further said.
Satyaki Savarkar has filed a defamation complaint against Rahul Gandhi, citing his speech in London in March 2023. As per the complaint, the Congress MP claimed during the speech that V D Savarkar had written in a "book" that "he and five to six of his friends once beat up a Muslim man, and he (Savarkar) felt happy".
No such incident ever took place, nor did Savarkar write any such account, Satyaki Savarkar said in his defamation complaint.
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Rare Kalyani Chalukya-era stepwell discovered in Karnataka’s Gadag district
Gadag: A centuries-old stepwell from the Kalyani Chalukya period is discovered into public in Sudi, a remote village in Karnataka’s Gadag district. The Nagakunda Pushkarani, dating to the 10th-11th century CE, is undergoing extensive restoration under the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage’s ‘Adopt a Monument’ scheme.
The stepwell was focal point of community life and craftsmanship under the reign of Akkadevi, sister of Chalukya king Jayasimha II. It shows the dynasty’s mastery of architecture and water management. Its interior walls are carved with the precision of temple façades, setting it apart from most surviving stepwells in southern India, linking it stylistically to examples in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
After centuries of neglect left its sculptures weathered and its waters dry, the site is now being revived by the Deccan Heritage Foundation India in partnership with Heritage Matters, the Gandipet Welfare Society and the Water Literacy Foundation according to a report published by The HIndu. Work includes structural repairs, removal of invasive vegetation, dredging, stone resetting and landscaping, alongside the restoration of an adjacent mantapa with a large Ganesha idol.
Heritage architect B. Sarath Chandra noted, the project is as much about functionality as aesthetics, with water recharge efforts already underway. Funded by Gandipet Welfare Society founder Rajashree Pinnamenni, the restoration is slated for completion by late 2025, followed by a second phase linking the stepwell to the Jodu Kalasadagudi temple through landscaped pathways.
The report mentions that officials say the revival of Nagakunda Pushkarani could not only reintroduce Sudi’s Chalukya heritage to a wider audience but also serve as a model for conserving other lesser-known monuments across Karnataka.
