THANE (Feb 21, 2026) — Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi appeared before the Bhiwandi magistrate’s court today to complete fresh bail formalities in the decade-old RSS defamation case.
Procedural Update
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New Guarantor: Gandhi named Maharashtra Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal as his new surety.
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The Necessity: The personal appearance was mandated following the death of his previous guarantor, former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who passed away in December 2025.
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The Incident: The case stems from a 2014 campaign speech in which Gandhi allegedly linked the RSS to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
Trial Status
The legal proceedings were completed within 30 minutes. Gandhi’s counsel, Narayan Iyer, stated that while Gandhi has been granted a permanent exemption from personal appearance for future hearings, the defense is prepared to present witnesses once the cross-examination of the investigating officer concludes.
“We have full faith in the Indian judiciary and are confident that justice will be served.” — Narayan Iyer, Defense Counsel
