India, June 25 -- Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has expressed regret before the Madhya Pradesh High Court over an allegedly defamatory statement linking Kartikeya Singh Chouhan, son of Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, to the Panama Papers controversy, marking the third known instance of a court-side apology or expression of regret by the Leader of Opposition.

The development came during the hearing of a petition filed by Gandhi before the Jabalpur bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, where he has sought exemption from personal appearance in a criminal defamation case pending before a special court in Bhopal.

Kartikeya Singh Chouhan had filed the defamation complaint after Gandhi, while addressing an election rally in Jhabua ahead...