The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its verdict on two separate pleas of BJP leaders Manoj Tiwari and Vijender Gupta challenging a Delhi High Court order refusing to quash summons of a trial court here against them in a criminal defamation case.
The private defamation complaint was filed by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia against the BJP leaders for allegedly levelling corruption charges against him.
A bench comprising Justices S Abdul Nazeer and V Ramasubramaniam reserved the order after hearing arguments advanced by lawyers of both sides.
The BJP leaders have challenged a trial court’s November 28, 2019 order summoning them and others as accused in the criminal defamation case filed by Sisodia.
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The High Court also declined the relief.
Sisodia had filed the complaint against BJP leaders -- Members of Parliament Manoj Tiwari, Hans Raj Hans and Pravesh Verma, MLAs Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Vijender Gupta, and BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana -- for allegedly making corruption charges against him in relation to Delhi government schools’ classrooms.
The accused were earlier granted bail after they appeared before the trial court.
The AAP leader had filed the complaint under section 200 of CrPC for the commission of offences under Section 499 and 500 read with Sections 34 and 35 of the IPC for making false and defamatory statements in print, electronic and social media.
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Sisodia had stated that all the allegations made by the BJP leaders jointly and individually were false, defamatory, and derogatory with an intention to harm and damage his reputation and goodwill.
If convicted, the offence of defamation entails a maximum punishment of two years.
(Inputs from PTI)
