Pune: Satyaki Savarkar, the complainant in a defamation case against Rahul Gandhi over his alleged comments against Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, has filed an application before the court seeking to prosecute the Congress leader for `perjury’ or lying under oath.
The plea, filed before the special court for MPs and MLAs, accused Gandhi of making “false and misleading statements” regarding the receipt of a video clip which, Satyaki claimed, contained defamatory remarks made by Gandhi about the Hindutva ideologue.
“The accused had filed a pursis (application) last month complaining that he had not received the defamatory video…,” said the plea filed by Advocate Sangram Kolhatkar on behalf of Satyaki Savarkar.
In the ongoing defamation case against Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition and Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s grand-nephew, Satyaki Savarkar, the complainant’s counsel, advocate Sangram Kolhatkar, on Wednesday said they have filed a perjury application against the Congress leader for allegedly misleading the court.
Kolhatkar, who represents complainant Satyaki Savarkar and moved the application before Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Amol Shinde on Wednesday, said Gandhi’s legal team had earlier been provided with all relevant documents in the case.
“We had supplied the relevant copies to Rahul Gandhi’s advocate, Milind Pawar. He received them and signed before the court. Yet, Gandhi, through his lawyer, has blatantly denied receiving any such material from us. Gandhi is misleading the court. Since he holds a constitutional post as the Leader of the Opposition, we have strictly demanded that action be initiated against him,” he said.
The reply from Gandhi’s advocate is expected on September 10.
The defamation case, filed by Savarkar — the grand-nephew of Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar — pertains to remarks made by Gandhi in March 2023 in London, which the complainant alleges are false.
Kolhatkar also commented on the recent “pursis” filed by Gandhi’s lawyer in a Pune court, which cited a threat to Gandhi’s life from followers of Savarkar. Gandhi’s legal team later said the filing had been made without his consent and would be withdrawn. “A pursis is not an application; it is merely information given to the court. No court takes cognisance of it, but it becomes part of the record. At least from our side, in the Pune court, there is no threat. Such filings are a misuse of freedom and waste the court’s time,” Kolhatkar said.
The case is pending before a Pune court, where Gandhi has already been granted bail.
