{
  "id": 6400916,
  "title": "'No Special Treatment': Supreme Court On Plea To Fast-Track Rahul Gandhi Defamation Case",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/no-special-treatment-supreme-court-on-plea-to-fast-track-rahul-gandhi",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-09T08:39:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/no-special-treatment-supreme-court-on-plea-to-fast-track-rahul-gandhi-defamation-case"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Wednesday, September 9, the Supreme Court directed the complainant in a criminal defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to follow established procedures and file an application for an early hearing. The case stems from remarks made by Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in December 2022, regarding the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and allegations of Chinese troops mistreating Indian Army personnel. Senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia, representing former Border Roads Organisation (BRO) director Uday Shankar Srivastava, argued that the matter had been pending for months and questioned why Gandhi was being treated as a \"VVIP.\" Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, responded that the complainant should adhere to the established procedure and file an application for an early hearing, emphasizing that everyone is equal before the court. The case arises from Gandhi's criticism of the government's handling of the LAC situation, and Srivastava's complaint was filed by a Lucknow magistrate, who took cognizance of the allegation of defamation. The Allahabad High Court later allowed the proceedings to proceed, holding that Srivastava could be considered an \"aggrieved person\" under Section 199 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, despite not being a direct target of the remarks. Gandhi subsequently appealed the proceedings before the Supreme Court, which is currently considering the matter.",
  "summary": "The Supreme Court on Wednesday, September 9, asked the complainant in a criminal defamation case against Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to follow the prescribed procedure and file an application seeking an early hearing. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, made the observation after senior advocate Gaurav…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}