While Gujarat High Court is hearing his plea against the Surat sessions court declining a stay to his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his “ Modi surname” remark, Jharkhand High Court has provided relief to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

In fact, on Friday the Jharkhand High Court had extended the stay on a Ranchi-based Judicial Magistrate’s summon notice to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to appear in a case filed against him for allegedly maligning Union Home Minister Amit Shah. 

Gandhi had moved the High Court with a plea seeking that the court set aside criminal proceedings initiated against him by Ranchi's magisterial court. 

In response, Justice Ambuj Nath ordered that no coercive steps can be taken against Rahul Gandhi till further orders of the court arrive in this regard.

The first stay on the notice for appearance against Gandhi was announced by the High Court on February 3. Prior to the stay, he was expected to appear before the magistrate's court in Ranchi the very next day. 

This means Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will not have to appear before the Judicial Magistrate in Ranchi in connection with the alleged case of his “ objectionable statements” against the BJP leader and Home Minister Amit Shah.

The case dates back to 2019. In his petition, Navin Jha had alleged that Rahul Gandhi had made an objectionable comment against Amit Shah during his speech at an election rally in Chaibasa, district headquarter town of West Singhbhum.

Responding to Jha’s petition, the Ranchi-based Judicial Magistrate had issued a notice directing Rahul Gandhi to appear before its court.This order of the Magistrate court was challenged by former MP and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.