Defamation row: HC tells Kejriwal not to ask Jaitley scandalous questions

Dignity has to be maintained as no one can be subjected to scandalous & abusive language: Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed Arvind Kejriwal not to put "scandalous" questions to Union Minister Arun Jaitley during his cross-examination in a defamation suit filed against the chief minister and five other AAP leaders.

Justice Manmohan further said the chief minister should conduct cross-examination of the senior BJP leader in a dignified manner and in accordance with law.

It said dignity has to be maintained as no person can be subjected to scandalous and abusive language in the garb of cross-examination.

The court, however, refrained from passing any order against Kejriwal after noting his earlier submission that he had not instructed senior advocate Ram Jethmalani to use any objectionable remarks against Jaitley.

The court was hearing an application moved by the Union minister to expedite the recording of evidence in an orderly and fair manner.

In the defamation case, besides Kejriwal, the five other accused are AAP leaders Raghav Chadha, Kumar Vishwas, Ashutosh, Sanjay Singh and Deepak Bajpai.

They had accused the BJP leader of corruption as the President of the DDCA, a post he had held from 2000 to 2013.

Jaitley, who had denied all the allegations levelled by the AAP leaders in December 2015, had claimed that they had made "false and defamatory" statements in the case involving DDCA, thereby harming his reputation.