Ajit Doval's son files defamation complaint against Jairam, others

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval's son Vivek Doval on Monday filed a criminal defamation complaint against Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, The Caravan magazine and the author for publishing a defamatory article against him.

The defamation complaint will be heard by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on Tuesday.

In his complaint, Vivek Doval said the accused persons have published the article against the complainant intending to harm his reputation and business and have committed the offence of defamation punishable under section 500 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) read with section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) IPC.

The magazine claimed that Vivek Doval was running a hedge fund in the Cayman Islands.

Ramesh referred to Vivek Doval's hedge fund being involved in taking out money and then bringing it back to India post demonetization.

Alleging links between Vivek Doval opening a hedge fund in the Cayman Islands soon after 2016 demonetization and the huge spike in inflow of FDI into India from the territory, the Congress leader last week asked the RBI to make public the source of funds received from the tax haven.

Vivek Doval told the court that "through calculated insinuations and innuendos raised by way of published articles and press conferences, the accused persons have raised unfounded and baseless allegations against him and have caused irreparable damage to his reputation and goodwill that he had earned for himself over years of hard work.

"The article as well as press conferences have unrestricted access through the Internet across the globe including New Delhi," the complaint said.

Vivek Doval also told the court that the statements made by the accused were far from the truth and had not been made in any good faith.

"To the contrary, the insinuations have been so made by the accused persons, in active connivance with each other, with the concrete knowledge that imputation will harm the reputation of the complainant and the Doval family," said the complaint filed by Vivek Doval.

He said that imputations have neither been made for promotion of any public good nor do they touch any public question but have been made in a concerted effort to inflict injury on Vivek Doval and his family in view of the upcoming general elections

He also said that accused person has not made effort to verify any of the imputations made, which itself reflects their mala fide intent.

--IANS

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