Late Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar’s grandson, Satyaki Savarkar, has filed a criminal defamation complaint against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a court in Pune, Maharashtra. Satyaki Savarkar’s complaint, under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code, alleged that Rahul Gandhi made false allegations against VD Savarkar during his address in London. According to Satyaki Savarkar, Rahul Gandhi raised the topic of VD Savarkar during his interaction with Indian expats in London and falsely narrated an incident in which Savarkar and his friends were beating a Muslim man. Satyaki Savarkar called the incident fictional and false and added that Rahul Gandhi’s statement about VD Savarkar was malicious and aimed at insulting him.Advocate Anirudh Ganu, one of the two layers representing Satyaki Savarkar, said, “Since the court officer (assistant registrar) was not there in the court, they told us to come on Saturday and the case number will be issued”.
According to Satyaki Savarkar’s lawyer, Advocate Anirudh Ganu, a video of Rahul Gandhi making the alleged defamatory statements about VD Savarkar is available and will be submitted as evidence in court. However, the court officer was absent on the day of filing the complaint, so they were asked to return on Saturday to receive the case number.Section 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) deal with criminal defamation. The section defines defamation as any statement or representation made by words, either spoken or intended to be read, or by signs or by visible representations, which imputes a person with the intention of harming or knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of the person. If found guilty, the accused can be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both. Regarding the video of Rahul Gandhi, it is up to the court to decide whether it can be admitted as evidence. The court will consider various factors such as the authenticity of the video and whether it was manipulated or edited. If the video is deemed admissible, it can be used as evidence to support the case against Rahul Gandhi.
