Court to frame defamation charges against Kejriwal

A court here on Wednesday said it will frame on September 14 charges against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia in a criminal defamation complaint.

Metropolitan Magistrate Vijay Kumar Jha's order came while allowing the plea of Kejriwal and Sisodia seeking exemption for personal appearance for the day on the ground that they were busy in connection with the assembly by-poll in Bawana.

The court on the last date of hearing had directed the two leaders to appear before it on August 23.

Swaraj India chief Yogendra Yadav is also being tried as an accused in the defamation complaint filed by an advocate Surender Kumar Sharma.

Sharma had alleged that in 2013 the AAP approached him and asked him to contest the Delhi assembly elections on a party ticket, saying Kejriwal was pleased with his social services.

Sharma claimed that on October 14, 2013, articles in leading newspapers carried "defamatory, unlawful and derogatory words used by the accused persons" which lowered his reputation in the Bar and the society.

Sharma said he filled up the application form to contest the polls after Sisodia and Yadav allegedly told him that the AAP's Political Affairs Committee had decided to give him the ticket. However, the ticket was later denied.

All the three leaders denied the charges and are at present out on bail.

--IANS

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