January 20, 2025: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the criminal proceedings against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case concerning his remarks against Home Minister Amit Shah and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a Special Leave Petition filed by Gandhi, challenging the Jharkhand High Court's decision to dismiss his plea for quashing the case. The case was initiated by BJP worker Navin Jha, who alleged that Gandhi’s statements defamed the party and its leadership.

During the hearing, Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Gandhi, argued that under established legal principles, only the person directly aggrieved by defamatory remarks could file such a complaint. He contended that the case filed by a third party lacked standing in law. Singhvi cited precedents supporting his position that criminal defamation complaints cannot be filed on behalf of someone else.

The court, acknowledging the argument, granted a four-week period to both Navin Jha and the Jharkhand government to file their responses.

This development offers temporary relief to the Congress leader, who has faced multiple legal challenges in recent years over his outspoken criticism of BJP leaders.