New Delhi: Rajya Sabha member Abhishek Manu
Singhvi has moved a Delhi court seeking withdrawal of its
summons to him to depose as a witness in a complaint against
social activist Anna Hazare and his team.
Singhvi had moved the court of Kamla Market metropolitan
magistrate, who had issued summons to him on complaint by a
person alleging that Team Anna instigated the public against
the government during his anti-graft campaign in August.
"The applicant seeks direction for withdrawal of the
summons issued to him since he has no connection with the
complainant or the present complaint case," he said in an
application filed on his behalf.
The complaint by a Haryana resident, Satbir, had named
Singhvi as a witness without his consent.
While dismissing Satbir`s plea for registration of
criminal case against Hazare and his team members for
allegedly instigating the public against the government during
his anti-graft campaign, the court had allowed him to lead
evidence in support of his allegations.
"The applicant upon receiving the summons made enquiries
as to the nature of the complaint and on getting the record
inspected wishes to state that he does not know the
complainant nor is he in any way connected with the
institution of the present complaint," Singhvi said.
"Even in the status report filed by the police there is
no reference to him," he added in his application for
withdrawal of summons, issued by the court of erstwhile Kamla
Market Metropolitan Magistrate Tyagita Singh, who has since
been transferred to another court.
Singhvi also said the summons were issued to him despite
his name and address being wrongly mentioned by the
complainant in his list of witnesses.
While filing the application through his counsel, Singhvi
also sought exemption from personal appearance saying, "He is
a senior advocate practicing at the Supreme Court and is a
Member of Parliament.
The applicant is ready and willing to abide by the
directions of the court but due to exigencies of prior
unavoidable professional / official work he cannot appear in
person and is moving this application through his duly
appointed counsel."
The court has fixed the application for disposal on March
17.
PTI
