Rahul Gandhi to appeal conviction today

Rahul Gandhi will file the appeal around 3 pm, on Monday. File pic/PTI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will file an appeal before a sessions court in Surat, Gujarat, against his conviction in a criminal defamation case on Monday.

"Rahul Gandhi will reach the sessions court in Surat to file an appeal around 3 pm," his lawyer Kirit Panwala said.

Senior Congress leaders will also be in Surat when Gandhi arrives on Monday afternoon, party sources said.

The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Varma here had on March 23 convicted Gandhi and sentenced him to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his "Modi surname" remarks.

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The court had also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to appeal in a higher court.

Gandhi was on March 24 disqualified from the Lok Sabha following his conviction by the Surat court in the criminal defamation case. He would not be able to contest elections for eight years unless a higher court stays his conviction and sentence.

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