Court takes cognizance of defamation complaint filed against Shashi Tharoor

New Delhi [India], September 21 (ANI): The Rouse Avenue court has taken cognisance of Defamation complaint filed against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. This complaint has been filed by BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

He has alleged that Tharoor made false statement against him in an interview alleging that Chandrashekhar was bribing the voters in the Thiruvananthapuram constituency. He has said that this statement hurt his reputation and resulted in losing the Lok Sabha election 2024.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Divya Malhotra took cognizance of the offences and listed the matter on October 4 for pre summoning evidence.

“On the basis of the submissions made and the material placed on record, which prima facie disclose the ingredients of the offence, I take cognizance of the offence(s) under Sections 500 IPC and 171G IPC,” Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate said in the order passed on September 21.

BJP leader Rajeev Chandrashekhar has filed a Defamation complaint against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. Senior advocate Pramod Kumar Dubey alongwith Vaibhav Gaggar appeared for BJP leader.

It has been alleged that the proposed accused has defamed the complainant by making false and derogatory imputations on the national television that he had been bribing voters in the Thiruvananthapuram Constituency, knowing fully well that such statements were false and with the intent to lower complainant’s reputation and to affect the result of upcoming elections.

It is also alleged that the interview(s) was/were published by various news channels as well as on social media platforms at the behest of the proposed accused and resulted in loss of reputation of the complainant in the society, which ultimately resulted in the complainant losing the Lok Sabha Elections, 2024.

The complainant has filed a complaint under section 200 Cr.P.C. read with sections 499/500 IPC and 171G IPC.

The court also allowed an application for filing of amended complaint. The same has been taken on record.