HC imposes Rs.50,000 cost on Harsh Vardhan, Naseeb Singh

The Delhi High Court Monday imposed a cost of Rs.50,000 each on BJP legislator Harsh Vardhan and former Congress legislator Naseeb Singh while quashing two cross FIRs registered after both leaders clashed over a news channel survey before the Delhi assembly polls.

Justice Indermeet Kaur quashed a first information report (FIR) filed by Congress supporter Sangeeta Dudeja against Bharatiya Janata Party's Harsh Vardhan and party workers Raj Kumar, Chandra Shekhar Chahal, Gajendar Kunwar, Kapil Prabhakar and Sardar Surjit Singh.

Dudeja filed the FIR, saying BJP workers used "indecent language" against former chief minister Sheila Dikshit, and for scuffling, insulting, molesting a woman and using filthy language.

BJP members filed an FIR against Congress members, saying they started slogans against the BJP and quarrelled with them where Kunwar and Prabhakar received minor injuries.

The court quashed the FIR after the parties said they had arrived at a compromise and do not want to proceed against each other to keep good relations in future.

The court asked Harsh Vardhan and the BJP workers to submit Rs.50,000 with the Juvenile Justice Committee.

"Having arrived at a settlement, it is prayed that in the interest of justice the present FIR proceedings be quashed. Having read the averments made in the petition, the petitioners (Harsh Vardhan and BJP members) having settled their disputes, living in the same neighbourhood... in the interest of justice the present FIR is quashed," Justice Kaur said.

"This order is passed subject to payment of Rs.50,000 as costs to be deposited in the account of Juvenile Justice Committee," it added.

Meanwhile, Justice V.P. Vaish also quashed an FIR filed by BJP workers against former Congress legislator Naseeb Singh, and party workers Gurcharan Singh, Manoj Sharma, and Chander Mohan Sharma.

Justice Vaish directed Naseeb Singh and the Congress members to deposit Rs.50,000 in the Delhi Legal Service Authority (DSLA).

A survey by ABP News-Nielsen telecast live Sep 5 last year predicted 32 seats for the BJP and 27 for the Congress in the Delhi assembly polls held in December 2013.

Reacting to the survey, Congress and BJP workers clashed outside the makeshift studio of the channel at a public school at Madhu Vihar in east Delhi.