Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday pleaded not guilty in a defamation case pertaining to his comments on Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar in a Pune court.
Judicial Magistrate (First Class) and Special Judge (MP/MLA court) Amol Sriram Shinde read out the charge, levelled by Satyaki Savarkar, a grandnephew of V D Savarkar, to which Gandhi pleaded not guilty through his lawyer Milind Pawar.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha was not present in the court and his lawyer Pawar pleaded not guilty on his behalf before the court.
Advocate Sangram Kolhatkar, who is representing Satyaki Savarkar, said since the phase of recording of plea of the accused is over, the trial in the case will proceed now.
The court kept the matter for next hearing on July 24.
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