Pune: A court in Pune was informed that there is no direct information about who recorded Rahul Gandhi’s alleged speech in London, where it was recorded, or who was present at the venue. The statement was made by complainant Satyaki Savarkar during his cross-examination in an ongoing defamation case. The next hearing in the matter has been scheduled for 31st March.
The case relates to a speech made by Rahul Gandhi in London in March 2023 while addressing non-resident Indians. He had allegedly made remarks about Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, also known as Swatantryaveer Savarkar. Following this, Savarkar’s grandson, Satyaki Savarkar, filed a defamation complaint against him. The matter is currently being heard in a special MP/MLA court in Pune.
During the cross-examination, advocate Milind Dattatray Pawar, representing Rahul Gandhi, raised several technical questions regarding the evidence submitted in the case. In response, Satyaki Savarkar admitted that he does not have direct knowledge of who recorded the speech or which journalists from India were present at the event.
According to available details, Satyaki Savarkar also admitted that a crucial CD related to the case is missing from court records. He told the court that he has not filed any complaint regarding the missing CD and that no detailed investigation has been carried out so far to trace it.
Further, issues were raised about the transcripts submitted as evidence. The complainant admitted that the transcripts do not carry dates. One of them also does not have his signature. Since both transcripts are based on the original CD and contain identical text, their authenticity could not be independently verified.
Concerns were also raised over the police investigation. The complainant stated that the hash value of the electronic evidence was not calculated. The mandatory Section 65(B) certificate under the law was also not properly prepared. In addition, no scientific verification of YouTube links or other digital material was carried out.
The court will continue hearing the matter later this month.
