Delhi HC rejects Kejriwal's stay plea in criminal defamation case

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's plea for a stay on trial court proceedings in a criminal defamation case filed against him and five other AAP leaders by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the wake of DDCA controversy.

Justice P.S. Teji rejected the plea of Kejriwal and said: "There is no illegality or un-sustainability in the law in continuation of the criminal proceedings before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate empowered to continue the same. Resultantly, the petitioner's (Kejriwal) request to adjourn the trial court proceedings is rejected, being devoid of any merit."

The court clarified that both the matters between Kejriwal and Jaitley -- civil suit pending before the high court and the criminal defamation case before the trial -- are "separate and independent proceedings and they can go side by side".

Kejriwal had challenged the trial court's May 19 order to turn down his plea to stay the hearing in the criminal defamation case, till the high court decided a related civil suit.

Kejriwal said there are two cases -- one civil and the other criminal -- filed against Aam Aadmi Party leaders on similar allegations and the trial court should have stayed the proceedings in the matter, but it had declined.

--IANS

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