The Madhya Pradesh High Court has reserved its order in a defamation case involving Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and Kartikey Singh Chouhan, son of Union Minister and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The case, heard by Justice Pramod Kumar Agrawal, saw arguments from both sides before the verdict was reserved. Rahul Gandhi clarified that he mistakenly mentioned Kartikey Chouhan’s name during an election rally in 2018 and publicly corrected the error the next day.
During the hearing, Rahul Gandhi explained that he had intended to refer to the son of the then Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, Raman Singh, and not Kartikey Chouhan or his father. He expressed regret over the reference and stood by the clarification issued in October 2018. Gandhi urged the High Court to close the matter and drop the criminal defamation proceedings pending in Bhopal. Kartikey Chouhan’s counsel informed the court that his client no longer objected to the mention, citing confusion rather than malice.
Advocate Sankalp Kochar, representing Kartikey Chouhan, stated that Gandhi had acknowledged the mistake and expressed regret. Kochar mentioned that his client was not pursuing the issue and requested closure of the dispute. The case stems from a speech by Rahul Gandhi during the 2018 Madhya Pradesh Assembly election campaign, where he alleged Kartikey Chouhan’s involvement in the Panama Papers leak. Kartikey Chouhan filed a defamation complaint, leading to the ongoing legal proceedings, which Gandhi has challenged in the High Court.
