INFO:

A sessions court in Surat on Thursday dismissed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s plea for a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his “Modi surname” remark. Last Thursday, the court of Additional Sessions Judge RP Mogera had reserved its verdict for April 20 on Gandhi’s application for a stay, pending his appeal against a lower court’s order sentencing him to two years in jail in the case. Gandhi had submitted that the trial court treated him harshly after being overwhelmingly influenced by his status as an MP.