Three record statement in Jaitley's defamation case against Kejriwal

Three people recorded their statements as complainant witnesses before a court on Wednesday in Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's defamation case against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Jaitley has filed a complaint against Kejriwal and five other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sanjay Khanagwal recorded the statement of advocate Ved Prakash Sharma, treasurer of Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) Ravinder Manchanda, and Registrars of Companies' (ROC) Deputy Registrar Rajnish Kumar Singh as the complainant witnesses in the case.

Sharma, a friend of Jaitley, told the court here that he was deeply shocked, disturbed and flabbergasted on hearing the defamatory statements given by AAP leaders.

Claiming Jaitley's innocence, Sharma said he is friend with minister for last four decades and such a defamatory statement has tarnished the image of Jaitley as an honest man.

The court, after hearing the testimony of three complainant witnesses, posted the matter for February 15 for further hearing.

Jaitley on January 5, recording his statement, told gthe court that Kejriwal and the five people had given "false" and "defamatory" statements against him, harming his reputation.

He also said AAP leaders made the statements with the intention to deflect attention from a CBI investigation against a particular civil servant who was working with Kejriwal and against whom a third party had filed a complaint.

Jaitley requested the court to initiate proceedings against Kejriwal, Kumar Vishwas, Ashutosh, Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chadha and Deepak Bajpayee for defaming him.

Jaitley, who headed the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) for 13 years till 2013, has been accused of corruption by Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party. But the union minister has denied the allegations.