The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed trial court proceedings against Rahul Gandhi in a 2019 defamation case. The bench issued notices to the Maharashtra government and the complainant, seeking responses within four weeks. This move followed Gandhi’s plea against a Bombay High Court order that refused to quash the summons.

The top court stayed trial court proceedings and sought responses from the Maharashtra government and the complainant on Gandhi's plea challenging the Bombay High Court's refusal to quash the summons

The Supreme Court on Tuesday halted further proceedings in a Maharashtra trial court in a defamation case against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over comments he made about Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019.

A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Aparesh Kumar Singh issued notices to the state government and the complainant, M H Shrishrimal, asking them to file their responses within four weeks.

"Issue notice returnable in four weeks. Further proceedings before the trial court shall remain stayed," the bench ordered on a plea filed by Rahul Gandhi against a September 8 order of the Bombay High Court refusing to quash summons to him.

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the Raebareli MP, referred to earlier decisions of the top court and said the law is settled in the matter.

The bench posted the matter for further hearing after four weeks.

On September 8, the Bombay High Court refused to quash the summons issued to Rahul in 2019 in the defamation case.

It had dismissed Gandhi's petition against a Girgaum magistrate's order dated August 28, 2019, for a process against him on Shrishrimal's complaint.

The high court, however, continued its 2021 order directing the magistrate to defer the hearing on the complaint for six weeks so that he could approach the Supreme Court.

Shrishrimal had opposed Rahul's plea in the high court, claiming that being a member of the BJP, he too was aggrieved by the remarks made against his leader.

The complaint had alleged that he defamed PM Modi in a public speech on September 20, 2019, in Rajasthan.

It claimed that Rahul Gandhi's statements amounted to direct allegations against all members of the BJP and Indian citizens connected to PM Modi.