Sultanpur, Oct 26 Timeline of key dates in Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 2018 defamation case, regarding his 2018 remarks against then BJP president Amit Shah, which concluded in the MP-MLA court in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Monday.
* 08 May 2018: Rahul Gandhi makes remarks, allegedly deemed objectionable by some, on then BJP president Amit Shah during a press conference in Bengaluru.
* 04 August 2018: Local BJP member Vijay Mishra files a criminal defamation complaint against Gandhi in the Sultanpur MP/MLA court.
* 27 November 2023: The MP/MLA court takes cognisance of the matter and summons Gandhi.
* 20 February 2024: Gandhi surrenders before the Sultanpur special court and is granted bail.
* 26 July 2024: Gandhi records his personal statement in court, calling the case a political conspiracy and "cheap publicity" bid.
* 20 February 2026: Gandhi appears in person before the Sultanpur court to officially record his statement under Section 313 of the CrPC.
* 12 March 2026: Complainant files an application demanding a forensic match of Gandhi's voice sample using an audio CD.
* 02 May 2026: Additional Civil Judge Shubham Verma rejects the voice sample-matching application.
* 11 May 2026: Court grants 'final opportunity' to complainant's counsel to file revision petition against an earlier order for evidence verification.
* 21 May 2026: Complainant challenges the lower court's decision by filing a revision petition.
* 15 July 2026: The Additional District Judge (ADJ) court dismisses the complainant's revision petition.
* 03 September 2026: Plea challenging rejection of Gandhi's voice sample comparison filed in the Allahabad High Court.
* 10 September 2026: The Allahabad High Court dismisses further revision petition challenging the voice sample rejection.
* 16 September 2026: Court gives 'final chance' to plaintiff to argue, with a warning against further delay.
* 21 September 2026: Final arguments on the core defamation complaint officially begin in the special court.
* 29 September 2026: Hearing deferred as lawyers abstain from work due to the death of a senior advocate.
* 12 October 2026: Legal hearings conclude, arguments wrap up, and the special court reserves its judgment.
* 26 October 2026: The special MP-MLA court delivers its final verdict and acquits Rahul Gandhi.
