After being pulled up for seeking frequent exemptions from appearing in court, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Yogendra Yadav on Tuesday appeared together before a Delhi court in a criminal defamation case.
The three AAP leaders appeared before Metropolitan Magistrate Mayuri Singh after the court earlier in the day rejected their joint application for exemption. They cited the strike by Karkardooma courts lawyers. The court rejected their plea saying that no ground had been disclosed in the application to allow them exemption. The complainant in the case, former secretary of the Shahdara Bar Association Surender Sharma, earlier opposed the exemption application urging the court to impose heavy costs on the trio. Mr. Sharma submitted that Mr. Kejriwal and the two other respondents had no respect for law. He further submitted that the court had already granted three exemptions to them in the case.
As directed by the court, the three AAP leaders appeared before the court and the Metropolitan Magistrate recorded their appearance. The AAP leaders were asked to appear before the court again on May 2, the next date of hearing, for framing of charges. All the three have obtained bail in the case.
Mr. Sharma in his complaint alleged that he was asked by the AAP in 2013 to contest the Delhi Assembly elections, but later read an article in a leading daily quoting a party statement where it was claimed that he was being replaced since he had criminal cases pending against him.
“The press release published in newspapers as well as testimonies of witnesses reflect that defamatory remarks were published in newspapers, which affected the reputation of the complainant in society and lowered his reputation in the eyes of other members of society,” the court had said while summoning the three leaders.
