Defamation case against Jairam Ramesh, 2 others: Witnesses to record statements on Jan 30

A Delhi Court on Tuesday ordered the recording of statements by witnesses on January 30 in the criminal defamation complaint filed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's son Vivek Doval against Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and two journalists.

The matter was heard by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) of Patiala House Court Samar Vishal.

In his petition, Vivek, a UK national and an Overseas Citizen of India, said Ramesh and Caravan (through Chief editor) magazine as well as the author of an article in it had "deliberately maligned and defamed" him "seemingly to settle scores" with his father Ajit Doval.

Doval's Counsel DP Singh during the course of hearing informed the court that there are three witnesses in the case including complainant Vivek Doval. The other two include Amit Sharma, who is the business partner of Doval and Nikhil Kapoor who is Doval's friend.

"Panama or paradise papers were a leaked database, not everything was wrong. Hedge funds are not illegal. It got famous because of the former Pakistan Prime Minister. It is an innuendo that people investing in it are of dubious character. This hedge fund operated in India for six months. The administrative link between Vivek Doval and his brother is false," said, Advocate DP Singh told the bench further.

Singh informed the bench that the article portrays that the entire black money of the country has come through the funds of his client. He added that the headline of the article is demeaning the context in the whole of the country.

"The chart given in the article is false. It is absolutely wrong that there were administrative links between my brother's company and my startup," advocate DP Singh said further.

Vivek Doval through his counsel said, "The incident has shaken the belief of people around me. I am being questioned by my family and investors." His Counsel DP Singh also told the court that Caravan's article full of innuendos, title "D Company", which commonly refers to the popular gangster Dawood's companies.

Ahe complainant said Ramesh and the

.