In a big relief to the former Congress president, the Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday ordered that no coercive action should be taken against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case filed against him over a Modi surname remark he made in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The next hearing will be held on August 16. Advocate Pradeep Modi, who practices in Ranchi, had taken exception to the Gandhi scion's remark “against Modi community” and filed a Rs 20 crore defamation case against him.

The Jharkhand High Court today gave relief to senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by allowing his petition challenging the Ranchi MP-MLA court order that had directed him to appear in person in the court in a defamation case.

The court not only exempted Gandhi from personal appearance but also gave direction for no coercion against him.

A Bench of Justice SK Dwivedi issued an order stating that no coercive action should be taken against Gandhi till August 16, when the Court will take up the matter next.

During a political campaign in Kolar, Karnataka in 2019, Gandhi linked Prime Minister Narendra Modi with fugitives like Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi. He had said in a speech, 

"Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi. How come all the thieves have 'Modi' as a common surname?"

Consequently, Advocate Pradeep Modi, who practices in the Ranchi civil court, filed defamation case against Gandhi.

The Congress leader was earlier directed by the MP/MLA Court in Ranchi to appear in person.

In July last year, the High Court had refused to quash criminal defamation proceedings against Gandhi in the case. In March this year a Surat court had convicted Gandhi and sentenced him to two years' imprisonment for the same remark.