The court also directed that CBI shall continue the investigation against the petitioner ex-Samajwadi Party MLA Kishore Samrite and other persons who are involved in filing of the frivolous petitions and asked it to submit a report within six months.
"The allegation is without substance and without an iota of evidence," a bench of justices B S Chauhan and Swatanter Kumar said on the allegation levelled against Gandhi of rape of a girl in Uttar Pradesh and illegally detaining her along with her parents.
"The reputation of respondent no 6 (Rahul Gandhi) has been damaged by the undesirable act of the petitioner (Samrite)," the bench said.
The apex court further said the petition was "misconceived" and that Samrite abused the process of law on the basis of incorrect statement.
The bench passed the order on an appeal filed by Samrite challenging an order of the Allahabad High Court which had dismissed his plea against Gandhi and imposed costs of Rs 50 lakh on him for filing a frivolous petition.
The high court had also directed a CBI probe against the former MLA from Madhya Pradesh. Samrite had then approached the apex court against the high court's order. MORE
