Rahul Gandhi Expresses Regret, ; Defamation Case Ends

A long-running and widely discussed legal dispute in the politics of Madhya Pradesh finally came to an amicable end on Thursday. The defamation case between the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and Kartikeya Singh Chauhan, the son of former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, has now been completely resolved.

The dispute originated from a 2018 election rally in Jhabua, where Rahul Gandhi allegedly mentioned Kartikeya’s name while referring to the Panama Papers leak case. Following this, Kartikeya filed a defamation suit against Rahul Gandhi in the MP-MLA Court in Bhopal.

In the complaint, Kartikeya stated that Rahul Gandhi had allegedly mentioned his name in connection with the Panama Papers leak, thereby damaging his reputation. During the proceedings, the Bhopal court issued a summons in December 2024 directing Rahul Gandhi to appear in person. Rahul Gandhi challenged this order before the High Court.

During the hearing in the High Court, Rahul Gandhi filed an application expressing deep regret over the incident. He clarified that he had inadvertently mentioned Kartikeya Singh Chauhan’s name by mistake and that he had actually intended to refer to someone else. Expressing regret for his statement, he requested relief from the Honorable Court..(updated on 25th june 2026)