India, Oct. 13 -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed criminal defamation proceedings against Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on his 2019 comments calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi "Chowkidar Chor hai".

The trial is pending in a Mumbai court.

The Supreme Court agreed to examine Bombay high court's order issued in September refusing to quash 2019 summons to Rahul Gandhi in the defamation case over his remarks against PM Modi. The Bombay high court had dismissed Gandhi's plea challenging a 2019 Girgaon magistrate court order that had initiated proceedings against him.

"Being a registered national political party, the BJP is definitely an identifiable body. On prima facie reading of the statement, describing the PM, who ...