Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was acquitted by a court in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on 26 October 2026 on a criminal defamation case related to his comments he made about Amit Shah in 2018.
The verdict was delivered by a special MP/MLA court in Sultanpur where Gandhi appeared in person. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Shubham Verma made the announcement, taking the long-standing case to a new legal stage.
The complaint was filed by BJP leader Vijay Mishra on August 4, 2018. Gandhi allegedly made comments about Shah who was serving as the BJP's national president at the time.
According to reports, the court found that Gandhi’s comments did not constitute defamation. The acquittal brings Congress leader relief in this case.
What were Rahul Gandhi’s comments about Amit Shah?
The case dates back to the 2018 Karnataka Assembly election campaign. Gandhi had attacked BJP for the claims of honesty and clean governance at a political event and press conference in Bengaluru.
He allegedly referred to Shah as a person accused in a murder case and questioned the party's political leadership. The comments were related to the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case in which Shah was discharged by a special CBI court in 2014.
Mishra argued that Gandhi's statement was objectionable and damaged Shah's reputation. The complaint triggered criminal defamation proceedings under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code.
Gandhi denied the accusations and maintained that his comments were taken out of context. The court’s acquittal is the end of the proceedings in Sultanpur, but any future legal challenge would be up to the complainant.
Case filed in 2018, Gandhi secured bail in 2023
The complaint was filed in August 2018 after Gandhi’s comments during the Karnataka election campaign got into trouble.
Over the years, the case continued through the courts. Gandhi appeared before the Sultanpur court in 2023 and secured bail in the matter.
The court had originally scheduled the verdict for October 13, 2026 but later moved it to October 26. Gandhi travelled from Lucknow to Sultanpur to attend the hearing and be there when the decision was announced.
The verdict attracted attention owing to Gandhi being Leader of the Opposition and the political significance of the remarks that led to the complaint.
Acquittal is separate from other defamation cases
The Sultanpur verdict concerns the specific complaint over Gandhi’s 2018 remarks about Amit Shah. It should not be confused with other defamation proceedings involving the Congress leader.
Gandhi has also been in and out of court over comments that he and others have made on other politicians. There are different allegations and judicial proceedings.
An acquittal in the Sultanpur case does not automatically resolve any other pending legal matter.
Political and Legal Significance
Gandhi will now be able to rest comfortably in the wake of his case that went on for more than eight years. And it also raises the question of criminal defamation law in political speech and public debate.
For the Congress, the decision is a good legal outcome for the senior leader. The final status of the case will be decided depending upon whether any appeal or any subsequent legal action is initiated.
The October 26 verdict will help settle into the long-standing feud over Gandhi's comments during the 2018 Karnataka election campaign.
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