A Delhi court on Wednesday acquitted Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a 2016 criminal defamation complaint filed by BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri.
The complaint was filed against him Mr. Bidhuri, MP from South Delhi parliamentary constituency, under Section 500 (defamation) of the IPC. Mr. Bidhuri alleged that Kejriwal had defamed him in an interview to a news channel.
Mr. Bidhuri had taken objection to Mr. Kejriwal’s statement that though criminal cases were pending against the MP, the Delhi police were not taking any action. “ Ramesh Bidhuri ke khilaf bade bade sangeen charges hain, unko pakda aapne [There are serious charges against Ramesh Bidhuri, did you catch him],” the complaint quoted Mr. Kejriwal as telling the interviewer.
“Such defamatory statements have been made with the ulterior motive and wrongful intent to malign and tarnish the image of the complainant,” the complaint said.
The MP claimed that no case was pending against him, and the Chief Minister had defamed him by giving such statements.
The court had summoned Mr. Kejriwal in February 2016. He was granted bail on a personal bond of ₹10,000 in July the same year when he appeared before the court on the summons.
