A Pune court hearing a defamation case against Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has rejected a request to play a YouTube video linked to the case. The request was denied after the CD submitted as the main evidence was found to be blank. This CD was earlier believed to contain a video of Rahul Gandhi’s alleged 2023 defamatory remarks about Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
The case is being heard by Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Amol Shinde. The complaint was filed by Satyaki Savarkar, who is the grand-nephew of Savarkar. He has accused Rahul Gandhi of making defamatory statements about the Savarkar family during a speech in London in 2023. The video of this speech is a crucial piece of evidence in the case.
The problem began on November 14 when Satyaki Savarkar was undergoing examination-in-chief, which is the first round of questioning in court by the complainant’s side. At this stage, the CD containing the video of Rahul Gandhi’s alleged speech was expected to be played. But when the court attempted to view the contents, the CD was found to contain no data at all. This caused confusion because the complainant claimed the CD had previously been checked in another judge’s courtroom and the video had worked at that time.
According to Satyaki’s lawyer, Advocate Sangram Kolhatkar, the CD had been submitted in 2023 when the case was first registered. He said that at that time, the earlier judge had confirmed in open court that the CD was functional and contained the video. Kolhatkar added that the original CD had been handed over along with the URL link of the YouTube video. Now that the CD appeared blank, the complainant insisted that something had gone wrong somewhere.
On Thursday, in an attempt to resolve the issue, Satyaki asked the court to play an additional CD that he claimed had been provided earlier. But the court rejected the request because there was no record of such a second CD being officially submitted. The judge stated that only one CD existed in court records, and that CD was blank.
After failing to play both the original CD and the alleged additional CD, Satyaki’s legal team requested the court to play the YouTube video directly from the original URL link. However, this request also met resistance. Rahul Gandhi’s lawyer, Advocate Milind Pawar, opposed the move. He argued that the YouTube link could not be taken as evidence since it did not meet the legal requirements under the Indian Evidence Act.
The special court that deals with cases involving MPs and MLAs agreed with this objection. The court noted that the complainant had already submitted a certificate under Section 65B of the Indian Evidence Act for the CD. This certificate is necessary to confirm that electronic evidence such as a CD or digital file is genuine and can be admitted in court. But the court added that the certificate provided for the CD could not automatically apply to the YouTube URL.
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Magistrate Amol Shinde stated clearly in his order that the online link could not be considered unless it was supported by its own valid Section 65B certificate. Since the complainant had not produced such a certificate for the URL, the court refused to allow the video to be played from YouTube.
This decision has left the complainant without the main evidence on which his case is based. The blank CD means the court currently has no admissible video proof of the alleged defamatory speech made by Rahul Gandhi in London.
The defamation case has been a sensitive matter because of the involvement of the Savarkar family. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, popularly known as Veer Savarkar, is a respected figure among many people, especially in Maharashtra and among various political groups. In the complaint, Satyaki Savarkar has stated that Rahul Gandhi’s 2023 remarks harmed the reputation of the family and misrepresented Savarkar’s contribution to history.
His lawyer has also maintained that the original CD did contain the video and was properly submitted with necessary documentation. He emphasised that the CD played correctly before a different magistrate earlier, which makes the blank CD discovery even more surprising. According to him, the CD and the URL together were provided so that the court could check them whenever required. But without the video functioning now, the complainant is left without the core evidence required to move the case ahead confidently.
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi’s legal team has continued to argue that any digital evidence must strictly follow the rules of admissibility. Advocate Milind Pawar pointed out that the YouTube link cannot be played simply because it exists or because the complainant insists on its validity. The court must follow the law, which requires proper electronic certification
With the CD blank, the additional CD unrecorded in court files and the YouTube link rejected, the case has reached a critical point. The complainant may need to find another legally valid way of producing the video evidence if he wants the case to proceed. This could include generating a fresh certified copy of the video, obtaining a new Section 65B certificate or requesting further directions from the court.
As of now, the case continues under the supervision of Magistrate Amol Shinde, and future hearings will determine how the evidence issues are addressed. The outcome will be important not only for both parties involved but also for how digital evidence is handled in sensitive political cases.
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