Rahul Gandhi in custody for 30-45 minutes before getting bail in defamation case

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was granted bail on February 20 by the Sultanpur court in a 2018 defamation case filed by BJP leader Vijay Mishra, stemming from remarks Gandhi made against Home Minister Amit Shah. According to his lawyer, the court took Gandhi into custody for approximately 30 to 45 minutes before accepting his bail application.

Advocate Santosh Pandey, representing Gandhi, stated, "He surrendered in the court today. He surrendered and the court took him into custody for 30-45 minutes. After that, his bail application was submitted and was accepted by the court." Pandey emphasized Gandhi's innocence, asserting that no defamatory statements were made.

Pandey also highlighted the potential consequences, mentioning that Gandhi could face a maximum punishment of 2 years if sufficient evidence is found against him. Gandhi was granted bail by Judge Yogesh Yadav upon submission of bail bonds.

The defamation case stemmed from remarks made by Rahul Gandhi during a press conference in Bengaluru on May 8, 2018, where he allegedly made objectionable comments against Amit Shah, who was then the BJP president. Gandhi had criticized the BJP, stating that while the party claimed to advocate for honest and clean politics, its president was an "accused" in a murder case.

In response to the development, Vijay Mishra expressed his perspective, stating, "I was the vice president of BJP when this incident happened. Rahul Gandhi had accused Amit Shah in Bengaluru that he is a murderer. When I heard these allegations, I felt very pained because I am a 33-year-old worker of the party." Mishra continued, explaining the filing of the complaint through his lawyer and the subsequent legal process over the past five years.