Defamation complaint against Rahul Gandhi: Savarkar’s relative seeks transfer of case to ‘competent court’

On Saturday, Satyaki moved an application before the sessions court claiming that the court of the judicial magistrate first class (JMFC), which was hearing the matter, was feeling burdened by the case, and expressed his apprehension that “fair and reasonable justice will not be served.”

“This inference is drawn on the basis of the views expressed by the JMFC court during a recent hearing. So we have requested for transfer of the said proceedings to any other competent court. Application before the sessions court has been accepted and is likely to be heard on Monday,” said Satyaki’s lawyer Sangram Kolhatkar.

Satyaki, 40, is the grandson of V D Savarkar’s brother Narayan Damodar Savarkar.

According to Satyaki, “While talking at an event in London in March earlier this year, Rahul Gandhi had said that (Vinayak Damodar) Savarkar has penned a book in which has written that he (Savarkar) and his five-six friends were beating up a Muslim and felt delighted about what was happening. Gandhi then went to ask whether this was not a cowardly act. Savarkar has not written any such book as claimed by him nor has such an incident ever happened.”

In his plea, Satyaki stated, “The Accused (Rahul Gandhi), for reasons best known to him, has been repeatedly defaming and abusing Late Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in various occasions for over many years…He has intentionally made false, malicious and wild allegations against Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, fully knowing the said allegations to be untrue, with the specific objective of harming the reputation and to defame the surname Savarkar…The accused has deliberately uttered these words and sentences which were hurtful to the feelings of his family members and near relatives, followers of Late Savarkar and also would spark communal spark between two religions.”

Satyaki also prayed in the criminal defamation application, “The accused be summoned and tried in accordance with the law. Maximum punishment, as contemplated under section 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code may kindly be imposed on the accused. Maximum compensation may kindly be imposed upon the accused according to section 357 (order to pay compensation) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.”