Delhi Court summons Kejriwal in defamation case filed by Dr Subhash Chandra

New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been summoned as an accused in a criminal defamation complaint filed by Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Chandra by a Delhi court which said "prima facie", the offence was committed.

Noting that the imputations were prima facie made against Chandra's reputation, Metropolitan Magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria asked Kejriwal to appear before the court on July 29.

Since the accused had made such imputations on the national television against the complainant, it has clearly established that such imputations intending to harm the reputation of the complainant or to defame him, were made, the court said.

"Thus, clearly, there is sufficient material on record to summon accused Arvind Kejriwal for offences punishable under section 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code," it said.

Chandra had on November 17 last year moved the court seeking prosecution of Kejriwal for allegedly defaming him by levelling false allegations in the wake of demonetisation.

Chandra, who filed the plea through lawyer Vijay Aggarwal, alleged that Kejriwal, while addressing a press conference on November 11, had made "false, fabricated and defamatory allegations" against him.

The chairman of the Essel group had also claimed that Kejriwal had "defamed" him "by making inherently defamatory statements and caused serious harm to his reputation by imputing behaviour incompatible with proper conduct and suggestions of involvement in illegal activity."

The complaint claimed that Kejriwal, while addressing the press conference, "without any lawful basis or justification, dragged the name of the complainant in the entire facade, which has defamed and lowered the reputation of complainant in the eyes of general public and thus accused person (Kejriwal) has committed the offence of criminal defamation."