A Pune court ordered Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to appear in person on December 2 in connection with a defamation complaint filed against him by Hindutva icon VD Savarkar's grandnephew.

Satyaki Savarkar had filed a complaint in a Pune court claiming Gandhi, in his speech in London in March 2023, stated that Savarkar had written in a book that he and five to six of his friends once beat up a Muslim man and he (Savarkar) felt happy. As per the plea, Savarkar has not written this anywhere.

The court had asked the police to investigate the allegations and file a report. The Vishrambaug police station had carried out the enquiry and said there was a prima facie truth in the complaint.

On October 4, the Special Court for MP/MLA presided over by Joint Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Amol Shinde, issued a summons to Gandhi asking him to appear before it on October 23. However, Gandhi did not appear as it was told that he did not receive the summons.

Advocate Sangram Kolhatkar, lawyer of petitioner Satyaki Savarkar, said he approached the court on Monday praying to issue a summons to Gandhi to appear before the court.

Adv Milind Pawar approached the court on behalf of Gandhi and said the Congress leader would appear before the court on the next date, Kolhatkar said.

"However, we took an objection to Jadhav representing Gandhi as there was no 'vakalatnama or pursis' presented to the court. Advocate Jadhav told the court Gandhi would appear before the court under any circumstance. On this, the court asked Gandhi to appear in court on December 2," said Kolhatkar.