Senior Congress leaders Gaurav Gogoi, Bhupesh Baghel, and Jitendra Singh have been summoned to appear before the court on March 9 due to a Rs 500 crore defamation lawsuit initiated by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The Chief Minister’s legal action follows public assertions made by the three leaders alleging his illegal ownership of 12,000 bighas of land, which he contends is unfounded. During a media conference, Sarma emphasized that his defamation suit arises from what he characterizes as “false, malicious and defamatory” claims made by the Congress leaders. The controversial allegations first appeared in a newspaper article on February 5. Following the presentation of relevant documentation, Justice Nayan Jyoti Sarma issued an ad interim stay order in favor of Sarma, prohibiting the Congress leaders from making any further statements or allegations regarding his ownership of property until new directives are provided. Additionally, notices have been issued to the owner of the newspaper implicated, as well as the publisher and the reporter responsible for the original report, requiring them to also appear before the court on March 9 to validate the claims made in the article.
