Rahul Gandhi held guilty for his Modi Surname remark, released on bail in Surat

Surat : Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has been declared guilty by the Surat District and Sessions Court in connection with the controversial remark on ‘Modi Surname’ made by him during a public rally in Kolar in Karnataka. Gandhi, who was charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) 499 and 500, was granted bail by the court on Thursday.

Purnesh Modi, a former BJP cabinet minister and MLA from Surat (West), filed a case against Rahul Gandhi, a Congress MP, for allegedly saying, “How come all the thieves have Modi as their last name?” Modi said that the controversial comment was made at a rally in Kolar, Karnataka, before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, and that it slandered the whole Modi community.

Justice HH Varma, the chief judicial magistrate, finished hearing the final arguments from both sides and set March 23  as the date for making a decision. In his judgement, Justice Varma declared Rahul Gandhi guilty under IPC section 499 and 500, which has the provision of two-year jail term and Rs 15,000 fine or both. Since it is a bailable offense, Gandhi was granted bail by the sessions court in Surat.

Purnesh Modi, former cabinet minister and Surat (West) MLA said, “I welcome the judgement passed by the honorable court. I had filed a court case against Rahul Gandhi’s remark on the ‘Modi Surname’”