MP HC closes defamation case as Rahul Gandhi expresses regret [Read Order]

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday closed defamation proceedings initiated against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by Union Minister and former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's son, Kartikey Singh Chauhan, after Gandhi placed on record a statement expressing regret over the remarks at the centre of the dispute.

Justice Pramod Kumar Agrawal was hearing a petition filed by Rahul Gandhi under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), challenging an order by which the trial court had taken cognizance of an offence under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code and summoned him in the complaint filed by Chauhan.

According to the case set out in the petition, Gandhi had, on 29 October 2018, during the then ongoing Madhya Pradesh Assembly Election campaign, made a statement in Jhabua referring to the Panama Papers controversy. The statement was alleged to be defamatory of Chauhan. Gandhi's case was that upon discovering that Chauhan's name had erroneously appeared to be referenced in the statement, he had clarified in public the very next day, on 30 October 2018, that he had intended to refer to the son of the former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, who had been named in the Panama Papers controversy, and not to Chauhan or his father, the then Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.

The trial court's order taking cognizance under Section 500 IPC and summoning Gandhi was passed in the complaint case bearing No. SCPPM 3/2025, pending before the Court of the JMFC, Special Judge (MP and MLA), Bhopal, a complaint that traces back to the original 2018 case registered shortly after the statement was made. This order was subsequently challenged before the High Court.

Gandhi was represented before the High Court by Senior Advocates Vivek Krishna Tankha and Ajay Gupta, assisted by Advocates Aishwarya Sahu and Rajeev Mishra, while Chauhan was represented by Advocate Sankalp Kochar.

During the pendency of the petition, Rahul Gandhi filed an application, I.A. No. 14821/2026, placing on record a statement reiterating his clarification of 30 October 2018 and stating that he "express his regret" over the matter, while standing by his public clarification and expressing that he looked forward to a "voluntary cessation of proceedings." The application stated that it would be in the interest of justice for the case to be closed and the proceedings before the trial court dropped.

Chauhan, in his written reply to the application, stated that in view of the subsequent developments and the regret expressed by Gandhi, he did not intend to escalate the matter further, and that the proceedings before the High Court as well as the trial court be closed, with the statement made in the application being made part of the final order.

Senior Counsel for Gandhi submitted that the regret expressed had been accepted by Chauhan in his written reply, and that both sides were agreeable to the proceedings being closed before the High Court and the trial court. Counsel for Chauhan likewise submitted that, in light of the clarification and regret recorded in I.A. No. 14821/2026, the further proceedings before both courts be closed and disposed of.

Considering the statement filed by Gandhi, the reply filed by Chauhan, and the submissions advanced by counsel for both sides, the Court held that since regret had been expressed by the applicant, "the proceedings before this Court are closed," and directed that the proceedings pending before the Court of the JMFC, Special Judge (MP and MLA), Bhopal, in the underlying complaint case, would also stand closed.

The petition was accordingly disposed of, with a copy of the order directed to be sent to the trial court concerned for information and necessary compliance.

Case Title: Rahul Gandhi v. Kartikey Singh Chauhan [Misc. Criminal Case No. 13941 of 2026]

[Read Order]