The Supreme Court on Tuesday, has quashed the criminal defamation complaint filed against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav. The decision came after Yadav voluntarily withdrew the remarks that had been deemed defamatory towards the Gujarati community.

A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan passed the order in response to a plea filed by Tejashwi Yadav himself, requesting the transfer of the defamation trial from Gujarat to a more 'neutral' location. The criminal defamation complaint had been filed in Ahmedabad by Haresh Mehta, the vice president of the All India Anti-Corruption and Crime Preventive Council, alleging that Yadav's comment, suggesting that "only Gujaratis can be cheats," caused both mental and physical harm to the Gujarati community.

The Supreme Court, upon receiving Yadav's plea, stayed the proceedings in November 2023 and issued a notice to the former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister. Subsequently, the Court posed a crucial question to Yadav, inquiring whether he was willing to withdraw the contested remarks. In a pivotal turn of events, Tejashwi Yadav complied, officially withdrawing the statements in question.

"We have quashed the case in view of the petitioner withdrawing his statements on record. Accordingly disposed of," stated the bench, formalizing the resolution of the matter. With the withdrawal of the remarks, the Supreme Court set aside the defamation proceedings against Tejashwi Yadav.

The legal saga began with Haresh Mehta's filing of the defamation complaint, asserting that Tejashwi Yadav's comments had inflicted "mental and physical harm" upon the Gujarati community. Yadav, in response, sought the transfer of the trial location, arguing for a more neutral venue.

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal represented Tejashwi Yadav in the Supreme Court, supported by a legal team including Varun Jain, Navin Kumar, Akhilesh Singh, and Radhika Goyal. The apex court's decision, grounded in the withdrawal of the controversial remarks, brings an end to the defamation proceedings and marks a significant legal outcome in this case.

Case: [Tejashwi Prasad Yadav vs Hareshbhai Pranshankar Mehta.