The Allahabad High Court has turned down Congress leader Pawan Khera’s plea seeking a clean chit in a defamation case involving remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s father and alleged connections between the Prime Minister and prominent industrialists.
This decision means Khera will now have to face trial.
The case originates from comments Khera made in February 2023, which were deemed defamatory. FIRs were lodged soon after, including on February 20 at the Cantonment police station in Varanasi and the Hazratganj police station in Lucknow. Another FIR was registered in Assam two days later.
Khera had approached the Supreme Court earlier, contesting the multiple FIRs filed against him. The apex court combined the cases and transferred them to the Hazratganj police station for a consolidated investigation.
Subsequently, a chargesheet was filed in Lucknow’s Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court, leading to a January 5 order denying Khera’s request to dismiss the case.
After failing to get relief in the revisional court, Khera approached the Allahabad High Court. However, Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan, presiding over the Lucknow bench, dismissed his petition on December 3, stating that the Congress leader must face trial.
Government Advocate V.K. Singh argued against Khera’s plea, pointing out that earlier petitions filed by Khera on similar grounds had been dismissed. He noted that the present petition merely reiterated arguments that had already been rejected by the courts.
Court’s decision reinforces the legal validity of the charges against Khera and sets the stage for judicial examination during the trial.
This outcome marks as a significant moment in the legal proceedings against Khera, underscoring the judiciary’s position that the matter warrants thorough trial scrutiny.
For now, the Congress leader will have to prepare for the next phase of this high-profile case.
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