A local court here will hear on November 13 a revision petition challenging the dismissal of a defamation complaint against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on the 2020 Hathras rape case, lawyers said on Thursday.
Gandhi's counsel Bhagwati Prasad received a copy of the revision petition from the complainant's lawyer on Thursday, following the court's issuance of a notice in the matter.
The petition is being heard by Additional District Judge Vijay Kumar-II, who handles cases involving MPs and MLAs. The original complaint was dismissed on May 13 by the MP/MLA court of Additional Civil Judge (Senior Division) Deepak Nath Saraswati.
Prasad said he had sought a copy of the revision petition from the complainant's lawyer and received it on Thursday. Munna Singh Pundir, the complainant's counsel, confirmed this and said the next hearing had been scheduled for November 13.
Pundir represents three men — Ravi, Ram Kumar alias Ramu and Lavkush — who were acquitted of rape charges in the Boolgarhi case. He said three separate defamation complaints had been filed against Gandhi on behalf of the men.
According to Pundir, the complaints stem from Gandhi's visit to Boolgarhi village on December 12, 2024, when he allegedly remarked that the accused were roaming free while the victim's family remained confined to their home.
Pundir contended that the remarks were objectionable because the three men had been acquitted of the rape charges and the victim's family was living under security arrangements.
The Boolgarhi case drew widespread attention after a young woman was allegedly raped and assaulted in September 2020. Sandeep was named as an accused, while the three other men were also implicated, Pundir said.
The case was investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation, and the trial lasted around two-and-a-half years. The three men remained in jail during the proceedings, he said.
Following Gandhi's remarks, Pundir said he had sent a legal notice seeking Rs 1.5 crore in damages — Rs 50 lakh each for the three men. A complaint was subsequently filed before the court.