NEW DELHI: SC Tuesday stayed trial proceedings against LoP Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case lodged against him over his alleged defamatory remarks in 2018 against PM Modi.A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Aparesh Kumar Singh issued notice on Rahul’s plea for quashing the case. Rahul moved top court after Bombay HC refused to quash the criminal defamation case.Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Rahul, told the bench that identical issues are pending in the court and there was also another case involving Congress MP Shashi Tharoor which was also pending.The bench, after a very brief hearing, passed the order: “Issue notice returnable in four weeks. In the meantime, further proceedings before trial court shall remain stayed.”Rahul allegedly called Modi “choro ke sardar” and “commander-in-thief” at a public rally in Rajasthan in Sept 2018 in context to the Rafale fighter jet deal controversy.