Rioting case against Kejriwal to be heard Jan 25

A Delhi court Saturday posted for Jan 25 hearing of a case of rioting against Arvind Kejriwal, who is now the Delhi chief minister.

The case dates to protests held by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) outside the official residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Aug 2012. Members of the party were then charged with "unlawful assembly".

Metropolitan Magistrate Jay Thareja fixed the hearing of the case for Jan 25, and also granted exemption from personal appearance to Kejriwal and Delhi's Urban Development Minister Manish Sisodia.

The court was hearing five separate cases against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members, who, in violation of prohibitory orders, were staging a protest near Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's official residence at 7, Race Course Road in Aug 2012.

The court has directed that evidence in the case be examined, along with charge sheets.

"Both the sides have been directed to examine the evidence collected by the state (police) and identify instances of individual acts of the accused people, resulting in criminal offences," the court said.

Defence counsel Rahul Mehra told the court that statements of witnesses filed along with the charge sheets were "concocted". The police have concealed videos which exonerate most of the accused persons, he said.