Ranchi, June 10 : The Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday granted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi time to appear before a court in Chaibasa in connection with a defamation case.

He is now scheduled to appear in person before the MP-MLA Court in Chaibasa on August 6, instead of the earlier date of June 26, as directed by a non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued against him.

Rahul Gandhi had recently moved the Jharkhand High Court seeking the cancellation of the NBW and an exemption from physical appearance in the case.

During the hearing, the court questioned Gandhi's legal counsel on his repeated absence, pointing out that the Chaibasa court had earlier issued a summons, which was ignored, prompting the issuance of a non-bailable warrant in February 2024.

Responding to the court's query, Gandhi's counsel explained that the Congress leader had prior engagements on June 26 and requested that the appearance date be deferred.

While the High Court made it clear that the NBW cannot be cancelled, it accepted the plea for an extension and directed Gandhi to appear before the Chaibasa MP-MLA Court on August 6.

The case arose from a complaint filed on July 9, 2018, by Pratap Katiyar, a resident of Chaibasa. The complaint pertains to a statement allegedly made by Rahul Gandhi during a Congress party session in 2018, where he reportedly said that 'no murderer can become the national President of Congress' and that 'this is possible only in the BJP,' referring to the then-BJP national President Amit Shah.

The complainant alleged that the remark was defamatory and sought legal action. In April 2022, the Chaibasa court issued a bailable warrant against Gandhi after no response was received. With no appearance from Gandhi, a non-bailable warrant was later issued in February 2024.

/IANS