Surat, Apr. 20 (PTI) A court in Gujarat’s Surat on Thursday rejected Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s plea seeking a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case on the “Modi surname”.

The court of additional sessions judge R P Mogera rejected Gandhi’s application filed for a relief pending his appeal against a lower court’s order sentencing him to two years in jail in the case.

Gandhi approached the Sessions Court on April 3 to appeal against the lower court’s order.

If the conviction is stayed by the Sessions Court, it could pave the way for Gandhi to be reinstated as a Member of Parliament.

“How did all the thieves get the common surname Modi?” Gandhi approached the Sessions Court in appeal after a lower court sentenced him to two years in prison for criminal defamation for his comments.

Done during an election rally in Kolar, Karnataka on April 13, 2019.

His lawyers filed two applications, one for a stay of sentence (or bail pending the conclusion of his appeal) and a stay of execution pending the conclusion of his appeal.

The 52-year-old politician was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kerala’s Wayanad in 2019 but was disqualified a day after a lower court sentenced him to two years in jail in a case filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Purnesh Modi. Under Sections 499 and 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code.

While granting bail to Gandhi, the court issued a notice to complainant MLA Modi and the state government on the Congress leader’s plea seeking a stay on the sentence.

The Sessions Court will continue hearing Gandhi’s main plea against the lower court’s order. PTI COR KA PD GK