Delhi court to hear petition against Modi Nov 26

A Delhi Court Thursday posted for Nov 26 the hearing of a defamation case against the prime ministerial candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Narendra Modi.

The defamation case was filed by former Gujarat director general of police (DGP) R.B. Sreekumar against Modi. Others named in the petition are BJP president Rajnath Singh, party spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi and scientist Nambi Narayanan, all accused of hatching a conspiracy to defame Sreekumar.

Narayanan's counsel told the court that Sreekumar's petition is misguiding the court, and based on "falsity". He said that Sreekumar quoted wrong provisions of law, and committed the offence of perjury.

Metropolitan Magistrate Akash Jain said he would first go through facts of the case, and posted the matter for hearing Nov 26.

In his plea, Sreekumar urged a Delhi court to initiate proceedings against Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh, party spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi and scientist Nambi Narayanan for hatching a conspiracy to defame him.

According to the petition, as part of the plan, Lekhi gave an interview to a TV channel where she alleged that Sreekumar played into the hands of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the US, and falsely implicated Nambi Narayanan in an espionage case.

Narayanan was then working as a scientist in the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, while Sreekumar was serving as deputy director of the Intelligence Bureau in Thiruvananthapuram (1992-1995).

The former Gujarat DGP said Lekhi called him "anti-national" and a "traitor" in the TV interview.

In 1994, Narayanan was implicated in an espionage case for leaking defence secrets to Maldivian intelligence officers.

However, a Central Bureau of Investigation probe found that he was innocent.