Ahmedabad:A metro court here today issued summons to Congress President Rahul Gandhi and national spokesperson of the party Randeep Surjewala in connection with a defamation case regarding their remarks, statements and social media posts about the alleged large-scale deposit of scrapped Rs 500 and 1000 notes in Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank (ADC bank), of which BJP president Amit Shah was a director, during just five days after announcement of demonetization on November 8, 2016.

The court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate S K Gadhvi today issued the summons asking them to appear before it on May 27, the next date of hearing.

The court had earlier examined the witnesses and today it observed that prima facie it appears to be a case of defamation.

The court had earlier on August 27 last year ordered an inquiry under section 202 of the CrPC in the matter before proceeding further on the complaint lodged in the court by ADC bank chairman Ajay Patel on the same day.

Patel with his complaint had also attached the copy of a CD and transcripts of the statements, tweets etc of the accused.

Notably in June last year Surjewala had during a press conference alleged that ADC bank received the highest amount of old demonetized notes, worth Rs 745.58 crore, in just five days after the note ban was announced on November 8, 2016 by PM Modi. It was the only one of the 370 district cooperative banks across the country to receive such a large sum of demonetized notes in five days.

“ADCB chairman Ajay Patel is a prominent BJP leader, a close associate of Amit Shah. Five days after demonetization, all cooperative banks were banned from accepting demonetized notes with the pretence of preventing money laundering through them,’ Surjewala had said. He had also alleged that in 11 district cooperative banks in Gujarat headed by BJP leaders, including those in Ahmedabad and Rajkot, Rs 3,118.51 crore worth of old notes were deposited within five days of demonetization.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi had also taken a jibe at BJP and Shah with his tweet on June 22.

“Congratulations Amit Shah ji , Director, Ahmedabad Dist. Cooperative Bank, on your bank winning 1st prize in the conversion of old notes to new race. 750 Cr in 5 days! Millions of Indians whose lives were destroyed by demonetisation, salute your achievement,” Rahul had tweeted.

Patel in his complaint has alleged that the false accusation by Congress leaders had affected the image of the bank and they were liable to action under defamation laws.

DeshGujarat