HC notice to DCW, chairperson on Kumar Vishwas's plea

The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) and its chairperson Barkha Singh on a plea of AAP leader Kumar Vishwas.

Kumar Vishwas has challenged and sought suspension of the summons issued to him by the DCW on the complaint of an Aam Aadmi Party volunteer who alleged that her life was ruined because he refused to deny "rumours" over their alleged affair.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher also summoned the complainant to respond to the plea after she was added as a party in the case. The court also refused to suspend the summons issued to Vishwas by the DCW.

"The high court registry will send summon to her (complainant) in a sealed cover. Issue notice to newly added party (the woman), the Delhi Commission for Women and its chairperson," said the court while posting the matter for July 1.

Earlier, the court asked Vishwas's lawyer and AAP member Somnath Bharti to add the woman, who filed the complaint in the DCW, as a party in the case.

Seeking suspension of the summons, Bharti argued that Vishwas had been "wrongly summoned" and the decision to summon him was outside the DCW's jurisdiction.

However, the court said: "There will be no stay on the summons."

The court also deleted the Delhi government as a party to the case, saying there is no grievance against it.

It also slammed Bharti for objecting to the media persons' presence in the court.

"The concept of public hearing is that anyone who is interested in hearing of any case is permitted. If you want me to prohibit media, it can't be done; it's a public hearing," Justice Shakdher said, reprimanding Bharti for his objection to media presence.

Kumar Vishwas in his plea said that DCW chairperson had issued the summons due to "political vendetta".

The AAP has termed the allegations levelled by the woman as "baseless".

The woman had taken part in Vishwas's campaign in the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency in the 2014 general election. She went public here asking him to deny "rumours" of their alleged affair. She later approached the DCW which summoned Vishwas.