HC grants time to Manish Sisodia to file reply to pleas challenging summoning orders in defamation case

New Delhi, Apr 5 (PTI) The Delhi High Court Wednesday granted time to former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to file reply to pleas by BJP leaders challenging an order summoning them in a defamation case filed by him.

Sisodia had filed a defamation complaint against six people for allegedly levelling corruption charges against him.

At the outset of the hearing, the counsel for Sisodia sought time to file reply to the petitions filed by BJP leaders Hans Raj Hans and Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Member of Parliament Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma and party spokesperson and media relations incharge Harish Khurana.

Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma granted time to the AAP leader to file his reply and listed the matter for further hearing on July 6.

The high court had earlier stayed the proceedings against the four BJP leaders before a trial court in the defamation case.

It had also issued notice to Sisodia and asked him to file response to the pleas challenging the trial court’s November 28, 2019 order summoning them as accused in the case.

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 with regard to “inflated” cost of construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools.

The accused were earlier granted bail after they appeared before the trial court.

The AAP leader had filed the complaint under section 200 of the CrPC for commission of offences under sections 499 and 500 read with Sections 34 and 35 of the IPC for making false and defamatory statements in print, electronic and social media.

Sisodia had rejected the allegations made by the BJP leaders, jointly and individually, as “false, defamatory and derogatory”. He claimed the accusations were made with an intention to harm and damage his reputation and goodwill.

The offence of defamation entails a maximum punishment of two years.