Lawyer Withdraws Death Threat Plea Filed Without Rahul Gandhi’s Consent
Advocate Pawar is representing Mr. Gandhi in a defamation case filed by Satyaki Savarkar in response to remarks made by the Congress leader about the late freedom fighter and Hindutva icon.
Mumbai: The lawyer representing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case before a Pune court withdrew an application on Thursday that had claimed a threat to Mr. Gandhi’s life due to his remarks about Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Advocate Milind Pawar, who filed the application on Wednesday, clarified that Mr. Gandhi, who had not been consulted, has expressed strong disagreement with its contents.
Advocate Pawar is representing Mr. Gandhi in a defamation case filed by Satyaki Savarkar in response to remarks made by the Congress leader about the late freedom fighter and Hindutva icon.
In the withdrawn application, Mr. Pawar had claimed that the complainant, Satyaki Savarkar, had admitted to being a direct descendant — through his maternal lineage — of Nathuram Godse and Gopal Godse, key accused in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, as well as of V.D. Savarkar. The application further alleged that, given the “documented history of violent and anti-constitutional tendencies linked to the complainant’s lineage,” and considering the current political climate, there was a “clear, reasonable, and substantial apprehension” that Mr. Gandhi might face harm or wrongful implication by individuals aligned with Savarkar’s ideology.
In a statement, Mr. Pawar acknowledged that the application was filed without instructions from Mr. Gandhi. “The Pursis dated 13.08.2025 was filed by me in the court without instructions from the client. The contents of the Pursis were drafted by me without consulting my client, Shri Rahul Gandhi. My client has taken strong exception to the filing of this Pursis and has expressed his disagreement with its contents,” he said.
The defamation case stems from a speech Gandhi delivered in London in March 2023, in which he referenced an incident in Savarkar’s writings that allegedly described the assault of a Muslim man by Savarkar and others, calling it “pleasurable.” Satyaki Savarkar has disputed the existence of such an account in the published works of Savarkar and filed the case, alleging the remarks were false, misleading, and defamatory. He has sought Gandhi’s conviction under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code and compensation under Section 357 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
