India court rejects Rahul Gandhi’s plea to stay defamation ruling

A high court in the western Indian state of Gujarat has rejected an appeal by opposition leader Rahul Gandhi to suspend his conviction in a defamation case.

Friday’s order quashes for now the Congress leader’s hope of returning to parliament, contesting national elections due next year.Gandhi can now take his appeal to a larger bench of the Gujarat High Court and then to the Supreme Court, his last option.

Justice Hemant Prachchhak of the Gujarat High Court said in his order that a stay of conviction is not a rule but an exemption to be resorted to in rare cases.

“The refusal of stay of conviction would not in any way result in injustice to the applicant,” the judge said.

“There is no reasonable ground to stay the conviction of the applicant in view of the facts and circumstances of the case.”