Bengaluru (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday was granted bail by a special court here in connection with a case filed by the BJP's Karnataka unit for issuing "defamatory" advertisements in mainstream newspapers.

The advertisement ahead of Assembly polls last year accused the then BJP government in the state of indulging in large-scale corruption during its 2019-2023 rule.

ALSO READ: Hearing in 2018 defamation case against Rahul Gandhi postponed to June 18

The court had on June 1 granted bail to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who is also the State Congress chief, after they appeared before it in connection with the defamation case.

Judge K N Shivakumar had directed Gandhi to appear before the court on June seven without fail.

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Mumbai (PTI): A Mumbai court has acquitted veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar in a defamation case against him over his alleged objectionable remarks on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as the complainant has withdrawn the case.

Judicial Magistrate (First Class), Mulund, S D Chakkar, on November 8 disposed of the case as withdrawn.

A copy of the order was made available on Monday.

Advocate Santosh Dubey, who claims to be an RSS supporter, filed a complaint against Akhtar before the magistrate court in October 2021 for the offences under sections 499 (defamation) and 500 (punishment for defamation) of the Indian Penal Code.

He had alleged that Akhtar in a television interview unnecessarily dragged the name of the RSS and defamed the Nagpur-based organisation in a "calculated and well planned move".

As per the complaint, Akhtar, in the TV interview, had allegedly drawn parallels between the Taliban and Hindu extremists in the backdrop of the radical outfit seizing power in Afghanistan.

However, Dubey recently filed another plea before the magistrate to withdraw the complaint against Akhtar.

The complainant told the court that the "matter is settled between the parties in mediation" and therefore, he "does not want to prosecute the accused".

Hence, the court acquitted the lyricist and disposed of the case as withdrawn.