Pune court to decide on Gandhi's trial format change

A Pune court is set to make a decision on April 7 regarding Rahul Gandhi's request to change a defamation case against him from a summary trial to a summons trial. The case was filed by Satyaki Savarkar, the grandnephew of the Hindutva figure Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. It relates to comments Gandhi made during a speech in London in March 2022. Gandhi's lawyer, Milind Pawar, argued that the trial should be a summons trial due to its historical significance. He plans to request government records related to Savarkar to support Gandhi's defense. Pawar stated that the reputation and ideas of Savarkar need to be presented in court, which can only happen in a summons trial, not a summary trial. Pawar also mentioned that there was an error in how the case was registered. He claimed it should have been classified as a summons trial since the punishment for defamation can be up to two years in prison. He cited several court rulings to support his argument. Satyaki's lawyer, Sangram Kolhatkar, agreed that converting the case to a summons trial would be beneficial. He noted that a summons trial allows for more thorough evidence collection, including witness testimonies. In earlier developments, the court granted Gandhi bail in January after he appeared via video conference. In February, it also permanently excused him from attending daily hearings due to his high-security status and his role as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.