'Apologise within 24 hours, or face legal action', Sisodia sends defamation notice to Parvesh Verma

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday sent a defamation notice to BJP leader Parvesh Verma over allegations of corruption made against him by the MP from West Delhi.

The defamation notice by the AAP leader has been sent through his lawyer over the allegations made by Verma during a press conference earlier today.

Sisodia has asked the BJP leader to issue an "express, unqualified and unambiguous apology" personally in writing and similarly also publish it in the prominent newspapers in circulation in New Delhi and nearby areas.

"In view of above, you are hereby called upon to render immediately a complete, express, unqualified and unambiguous apology to my client for inflicting the aforesaid libel upon my client, which must be tendered to my client personally in writing by you as well as by printing the same along with true and correct facts, as stated above, on various newspapers of wide circulation in the National Capital Territory of Delhi as well as across India prominently within 24 hours of receipt of this notice," the notice read.

"Failing which appropriate legal proceedings shall be initiated including criminal prosecution for the offence of criminal defamation as well as a civil suit for recovery of damages as well as for injunction in accordance with the law and at your risks and costs," it added.

Earlier, the CBI had on Thursday arrested Gopal Krishna Madhav, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Deputy chief minister in Delhi over accusations of receiving a bribe of Rs 2 lakh.Verma, referring to Sisodia, had said that OSD was just a front and the money was being used by the Deputy CM himself. He also added that this money was being used to fund the protests being held at Shaheen Bagh.

"OSD is just the front, the money goes in the pockets of our deputy CM Manish Sisodia, who is his employer. And then this money is used to send biryani to Shaheen Bagh," Verma had told ANI.

In the notice, Sisodia alleged that the BJP MP has made the allegations without making background checks, which had resulted in harm to the Deputy CM's "name, image, goodwill and reputation."

Meanwhile, Sisodia today said that he had no issue with the timing of the action against the alleged corrupt official and strict action must be taken against him to set an example.

A day after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested the Delhi, Andaman Nicobar Island Civil Services (DANICS) officer, Gopal Krishna Madhav, Sisodia told ANI, "I got to know that an officer who is posted at GST and has been an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) with me for 5 years has been arrested for taking a bribe of Rs 2 lakhs. What CBI did is right, strictest action should be taken to set an example.