india

Updated: Jul 12, 2019 22:23 IST

A metropolitan court in Ahmedabad on Friday granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after he pleaded not guilty in a criminal defamation suit filed by the Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank chairman, Ajay Patel. Home minister Amit Shah is one of the directors of the bank.

The next hearing has been scheduled for September 7. “The legal team will decide whether to take exemption from appearing in court for Rahulji in next hearing,’’ said Babu Mangukiya, member of Congress’s legal team.

Separate criminal defamation suits were filed last year against Gandhi and Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala by Ajay Patel after Surjewala alleged at a press conference that ADC Bank was involved in a “scam” to swap rRs. 745.59 crore of redundant currency notes with valid ones within five days of demonetisation announcement on November 8, 2016. On the same day, Gandhi took a dig at Amit Shah on social media, saying, “Congratulation to Amit Shah ji, Director of ADC Bank for winning Rs. 750 crore in five days’’.

The court issued summons to the two Congress leaders on April 9 after finding prima facie evidence against them. The complainants said the Congress leaders levelled “false and defamatory allegations” against the bank.