Thane, February 21 Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appeared before the Bhiwandi magistrate's court on Saturday to provide a fresh surety in a 2014 defamation case filed by an RSS activist, naming the party's Maharashtra chief, Harshwardhan Sapkal, as his new guarantor.
Gandhi, who faced a black-flag protest by BJP workers on his way to Bhiwandi in Thane district, reached the court premises with Sapkal and other senior party leaders.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha was required to appear in person in the case following the death of his previous guarantor, former Union Minister Shivraj Patil Chakurkar, who passed away in December last year.
The legal proceedings, which involved Gandhi signing a fresh bail bond, were completed within half an hour.
Sapkal has been presented as his new guarantor in the case.
Speaking to reporters, Gandhi's counsel Narayan Iyer confirmed that the procedural formalities were successful.
"We have full faith in the Indian judiciary and are confident that justice will be served. While Gandhi has been granted permanent exemption from personal appearance in future hearings, we will present our defence witnesses at the appropriate time," Iyer said.
He said that the cross-examination of the investigating officer (IO) would resume now that the bail formalities are complete, clarifying that there was no examination of Gandhi scheduled for the day.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activist Rajesh Kunte filed a complaint in the court alleging that the Congress leader, while speaking at a rally at Sonale village during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, stated that the Sangh was behind the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
The false remark maligned the RSS's image, claimed Kunte in his complaint under section 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code.
Kunte's cross-examination and re-examination during the trial are over.
