Calcutta HC allows injunction notice against Vijaywargiya for making defamatory comments against Mamata's nephew

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday allowed injunction notice against BJP's Kailash Vijaywargiya asking him to refrain from making defamatory statements against TMC's Abhishek Banerjee.

Vijayvargiya had earlier refused to apologise for accusing Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, of being involved in the spurious liquor business.

Alleging that Banerjee was responsible for deaths that took place due to consumption of illicit liquor, Vijaywargiya on November 30, while visiting Shantipur, in the state's Nadia district, where 12 people died allegedly after consuming hooch, alleged that Abhishek was "directly responsible for the deaths ".

He further alleged that the entire money from the sale of illegal liquor/hooch goes to Abhishek.

On December 1, Abhishek, who is a Member of Parliament (MP) from the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, sent a legal notice to Vijayvargiya accusing him of defamation.

However reacting to the legal notice on December 2, Vijayvargiya had told ANI "I am not afraid of thieves; everybody knows what they are doing in West Bengal. Every illegal activity is linked to him. All those who are involved in illegal works such as smuggling of cows or arms, illegal supply of liquor or coal mining, are in touch with Abhishek. I will not apologise to such kind of people. These people will go to jail soon. I still stand by what I said. Wherever they want to go, they can. I am ready to give them a reply in the court."

Abhishek in his legal notice had sought an unconditional apology and had asked the BJP leader to retract his statement, failing which he has threatened to file a criminal case against him.

According to the legal notice, a copy accessed by ANI stated, "On November 30, a delegation of members of the BJP led by you (Kailash Vijayvargiya) attempted to visit the families of the victims wherein certain defamatory and malicious statements were made against our client and the State Government. Such statements were a fault, politically motivated and deliberately made with the intent of publishing, broadcasting and circulating the same, so as to impinge upon the reputation of our client and to cheaply gain the goodwill of the residents of Shantipur at the cost and reputation of our client."

Abhishek, in his notice, had also claimed that he never owned or is aware of any illegal sale of liquor and has no idea about the whereabouts of the people involved in such businesses.