Plea to summon PM, Sonia as witnesses rejected

A Delhi court Wednesday rejected a plea seeking to summon Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi as witnesses in a case against Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde for his alleged "Hindu terror" remarks.

The court said "no fruitful purpose" will be served by summoning them.

Additional Sessions Judge Shail Jain rejected the appeal of an RTI activist who challanged a magistrial court order that refused to summon the witnesses.

The judge said there is no need of summoning any other witness because petitioner has placed sufficient material to prove the defamatory speech.

"If it is the case of the revisionist that he has with him sufficient material that portrays and proves that defamatory speech was made by the accused and the same was published in print media and electronic media, copies of which are available with him, in my opinion, there is no necessity for summoning any other witness to prove said speeches, hence, I am of the opinion that no fruitful purpose will be served by summoning any witness, as per application moved by the complainant," the order said.

The court added that at the stage of pre-summoning evidence, the complainant has to prove the prima facie requirement of summoning the accused.