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BLOOMBERG
An Indian court suspended a two-year sentence for opposition leader Rahul Gandhi until it hears his appeal in a defamation case.
The court fixed April 13 as the next date to start hearing arguments on Gandhi’s request to stay a conviction that led to his disqualification from parliament, said Kirti Panwala, a lawyer for the Congress party leader. Gandhi is currently out on bail.
A court in western city of Surat had sentenced him to two years in jail for allegedly making derogatory remarks in 2019 about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surname but suspended the sentence for a month.
Gandhi was quickly removed from parliament after his conviction. He also faces the risk of being barred from contesting national elections due next year.
Indian law stipulates that anyone sentenced to serve two or more years of jail time cannot run for elections for six years after they complete their prison term. However, if Gandhi’s conviction is stayed or he is eventually exonerated, his parliamentary seat should, by law, be returned.
A member of parliament from the island district of Lakshadweep recently had his membership reinstated after a court suspended his criminal conviction.