Savarkar defamation case: Rahul Gandhi seeks contempt of court action against complainant

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has moved an application before the special MP/MLA court in Pune seeking contempt of court proceedings against Satyaki Savarkar, the complainant in a criminal defamation case filed against Gandhi for allegedly defaming Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Savarkar [Satyaki Savarkar v Rahul Gandhi].Gandhi's application has accused Satyaki Savarkar of wilfully disobeying court orders and suppressing crucial evidence, thereby undermining the accused’s (Gandhi's) right to a fair trial.Judicial Magistrate First Class Amol Shinde is scheduled to hear the application on August 13.In his plea filed through advocate Milind Pawar, Gandhi has said that Savarkar has “wilfully failed to supply the material documents and electronic evidence in a usable form” despite multiple court orders. This failure has caused serious prejudice to the accused’s right to effectively prepare and conduct his defence, it has been claimed.He added that it reflects a clear disregard and disrespect towards the authority of the Court..At the heart of the Gandhi’s application is the non-supply of certain documents and electronic records that Satyaki Savarkar allegedly relied upon while initiating the criminal complaint. According to the defence, Savarkar had filed a CD with the court but instead provided the accused with a pen drive on May 9, 2025.This pen drive was allegedly found to be corrupted and is neither accessible nor readable on any electronic device available with the defence..Gandhi has contended that the originally filed CD and transcript with the court, which are central to the complainant’s claims, were never provided to them despite specific directions by the court.The application argues this not only obstructs the defence’s preparation but also amounts to contempt of court. .The application also accuses Savarkar of submitting contradictory documents, specifically two different versions of a family tree. One version allegedly omitted the name of his mother, Himani Savarkar, who is allegedly linked to Nathuram Godse's family. This, according to Gandhi, raises serious doubts regarding the authenticity and reliability of the documents submitted by the complainant.As per the plea, the conduct of the complainant reflects "irresponsibility and arrogance"..The defamation case against Gandhi stems from a speech delivered by him in London in March 2023 in which he allegedly cited an incident described in Savarkar’s writings. He claimed that Savarkar and others had assaulted a Muslim man and found the act “pleasurable.” Satyaki Savarkar denied the existence of such an account in Savarkar’s published works and filed a complaint under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code. He also sought compensation under Section 357 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.Earlier this year, Gandhi’s request to convert the case from a summary trial to a summons trial was allowed by the Court. His plea of "not guilty" was recorded by the Court on July 11 and the case is now scheduled to proceed to trial.