HC sets aside order on Jaitley's cross-examination

The Delhi High Court on Friday set aside an order permitting Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to cross-examine Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who has filed a defamation case against six AAP leaders.

Justice Manmohan declared the Joint Registrar's order as infructuous and transferred the case to another bench of a single judge, who will hear the matter on February 12.

On February 2, the Joint Registrar directed Kejriwal to conclude the cross-examination after observing the records of the suit which revealed that Jaitley had faced 250 questions, some of them are being repeated and was called on eight different dates by the Chief Minister.

Jaitley was being cross-examined by Kejriwal in connection with the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) defamation case.

In December 2015, Jaitley filed a defamation case against Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party leaders Kumar Vishwas, Ashutosh, Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chadha and Deepak Bajpayee, claiming that they made "false and defamatory" statements in the case involving DDCA, thereby harming his reputation.

Jaitley has sought Rs 10 crore in damages.

He had claimed that the AAP leaders attacked him over alleged irregularities and financial bungling in Delhi's cricket association, of which he was the President for about 13 years.

--IANS

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