HC quashes magistrate order allowing fresh documents against Rahul Gandhi in defamation case
Mumbai (PTI): In a relief to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Bombay High Court on Friday quashed a magistrate's order permitting an RSS worker to submit fresh and additional documents in a pending criminal defamation complaint.
RSS worker Rajesh Kunte had in 2014 lodged a defamation complaint before the Bhiwandi magistrate's court, claiming the Congress leader had made false and defamatory statements during a speech that the right-wing outfit was responsible for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
In 2023, the magistrate court in Bhiwandi in Thane district permitted Kunte to submit the transcript of Gandhi's speech, which was part of a petition the Congress leader had filed in 2014 seeking the quashing of summons issued to him.
Kunte contended that by including the transcript as part of his petition, Gandhi had "unambiguously owned up to the speech and its contents".
Gandhi challenged the magistrate's order before the high court.
On Friday, a single bench of Justice Prithviraj Chavan allowed Gandhi's petition.
"The petition is allowed. Impugned order and consequent exhibition of documents are quashed and set aside. The magistrate court is directed to proceed with the trial regarding the exhibit in accordance with the observations made in the order," the court said.
Justice Chavan also directed the magistrate to deal with the trial expeditiously and asked both parties to cooperate.
The documents submitted by Kunte include parts of a petition filed by Gandhi in 2014, challenging the summons issued to him by the Bhiwandi court then.
It includes a copy of the transcript of the alleged speech made by Gandhi from a CD containing the purported live telecast of the programme, which was annexed as an exhibit to the petition.
Gandhi, in his plea, claimed that in 2021, another bench of the high court had disallowed Kunte from submitting any fresh documents in the case.
However, despite this, the magistrate permitted the submission of the documents as part of the complaint.
The Congress leader claimed that the magistrate's order allowing Kunte to submit fresh documents at this stage was "completely illegal and prejudicial".
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4 workers die after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad
Dhanbad (Jharkhand) (PTI): At least four workers died after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Saturday, a police official said.
The incident took place at Moonidih coal washery in the command area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).
"Bodies of all four workers were dug out of debris during a rescue operation," Putki police station in-charge Waqar Hussain told PTI.
The incident took place when coal slurry was being loaded into trucks by workers, during which a large chunk of slurry fell and trapped several workers underneath, officials said.
The deceased have been identified as Manik Bauri, Dinesh Bauri, Deepak Bauri, and Hemlal Gope.
Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased and local villagers placed the bodies in front of the washery gate and began a protest.
They demanded compensation, jobs for dependents and action against those responsible for the incident.
Police and administration officials are trying to pacify the protesters, an official said.
