Kejriwal granted day's exemption in defamation case

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is accused in a criminal defamation complaint filed against him by BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri.

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was summoned as accused in a criminal defamation complaint filed against him by BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri, was today granted exemption from personal appearance by a court here.

Metropolitan Magistrate Harvinder Singh granted the relief to Kejriwal after his counsel moved an exemption plea on his behalf, sumitting that the chief minister would not be able to attend the proceedings as he was engaged in some government meetings.

The court has now fixed the matter for further hearing on July 8.

Kejriwal was summoned as an accused by the court in February on a criminal defamation complaint filed against him by Bidhuri, an MP from South Delhi parliamentary constituency, under section 500 (defamation) of the IPC.

Bidhuri has alleged in his complaint that Kejriwal had defamed him during an interview to a news channel.

He had alleged that during the interview, Kejriwal had falsely said that criminal cases were pending against Bidhuri and a Congress leader but the Delhi Police was not taking action against them.

Bidhuri claimed that no case was pending against him and Kejriwal had defamed him by giving such statement.