Savarkar defamation case: Lucknow court imposes Rs 200 cost on Rahul Gandhi for skipping appearance
Lucknow, Mar 5 (PTI): A court here on Wednesday imposed a cost of Rs 200 on Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for skipping appearance in a 2022 defamation case related to his alleged derogatory remarks on freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Alok Verma had in December 2024 asked Gandhi to appear in the court on Wednesday. However, he didn't, and his legal team filed an application seeking exemption from personal appearance.
The court imposed a cost Rs 200 on him and said the amount would be paid to the complainant's lawyer. The next hearing was fixed for April 14.
In the application filed during the day, Gandhi's lawyer said the Leader of the Opposition has had official engagements, including meetings with foreign dignitaries and other scheduled programmes, which prevented him from attending the court in-person.
The defamation case stems from Gandhi's comments on Savarkar made on November 17, 2022 during his Bharat Jodo Yatra at a rally in Maharashtra's Akola district.
Advocate Nripendra Pandey filed a complaint, accusing Gandhi of intentionally insulting Savarkar during the rally.
The complainant alleged Gandhi's remarks were part of a well-planned conspiracy to defame Savarkar, and the comments were broadcast widely across the media.
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Man killed in flat ceiling plaster crash, wife and son hurt
Thane (PTI): A 45-year-old man was killed, and his wife and son were injured when a portion of plaster from the ceiling collapsed in their flat in a seven-storey building in Thane on Saturday, officials said.
Chief of the Regional Disaster Management Cell, Yasin Tadvi, said the 16-year-old building is not listed in the "dangerous" category.
"The incident occurred in Karumdev Society at about 3 am. The plaster of the hall in a flat on the terrace floor suddenly fell while the occupants were asleep", he said.
Of the four people who were inside the room, two suffered minor injuries and were discharged after primary treatment, Tadvi stated.
The injured persons were identified as Arpita More (42), who suffered minor head injuries, and her son Arush More (16), who sustained injuries to both legs.
Manoj More (45), who sustained chest injuries, died during treatment at a private hospital.
