District Court rejects RaGa's plea transfer of case filed by RSS volunteer

 

 

Mumbai, June 15:  A district court in Maharashtra has rejected an application of Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi seeking transfer of a Re 1 defamation suit filed by an RSS volunteer. 

 

The Proincipal District Judge of Thane court A J Mantri has turned down the plea of Rahul Gandhi who sought the transfer of the defamation case filed agianst him by a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) swayamsevak. 

Vivek Champanerkar, an RSS swayamsevak, had filed a civil defamation suit through his lawyer Aditya Mishra, contending that RSS is a social organization and is being defamed by comments made by Rahul Gandhi and the general secretary of the Communist Party of India Sitaram Yechury. Champanerkar alleged that Gandhi and Yechury were linking RSS with the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh.

Judge Mantri said, "I do not find any substance in the contention of the applicant to transfer the matter from the Civil Judge of Senior Division (CJSD) court to the Civil Judge of Junior Division (CJJD) Court on the ground of pecuniary jurisdiction."

Gandhi had filed the application in the Maharashtra court seeking transfer of the suit from CJSD Court to CJJD Court on the ground that the valuation of the suit is less than Rs 5 lakh. Hence, the CJJD Court has jurisdiction to try and entertain the suit. Champanerkar in his civil defamation suit had sought damages worth Re 1.