The Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to stay trial court proceedings in a criminal defamation complaint filed against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia by advocate Surender Kumar Sharma.
While refusing to stay the proceedings, Justice I.S. Mehta granted exemption to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders from personal appearance on April 6 before the trial court in the matter.
“Let the proceedings before the trial court go on...I am giving relief that they [Mr. Kejriwal and Mr. Sisodia] are exempted from appearing in person before the trial court on April 6,” the court said while asking the Delhi Police to file a status report on the complaint.
Issues yet to be framed
The exemption is only for the said day and the leaders can file application for further exemption before the trial court itself. The court is yet to frame issues in the case.
The AAP leaders had moved the high court saying the trial court had erred in summoning them in the complaint.
Mr. Sharma had alleged that in 2013 he was approached by volunteers of the AAP, asking him to contest the Delhi Assembly elections on a party ticket as Mr. Kejriwal was pleased with his social work.
He said he had filled in the form to contest the polls after being told by Mr. Sisodia and Yogendra Yadav, who is also named in his complaint, that AAP’s Political Affairs Committee had decided to give him the ticket. He was, however, later denied a ticket.
Mr. Sharma claimed that on October 14, 2013, he came across articles in several leading newspapers which had used “defamatory and derogatory words” against him.
‘Information concealed’
The counsel for the Ministers, however, contended that Mr. Sharma had concealed the fact that there were several cases pending against him. “The AAP, and not Mr. Kejriwal, had issued the press release against Mr. Sharma. So, no defamation case can be made out against him,” the counsel for the two submitted.
The trial court had summoned Mr. Kejriwal, Mr. Sisodia and Mr. Yadav and later granted them bail.
