DDCA row: 21st Century Media threatens to sue AAP leaders for charges

Ashutosh and Sanjay Singh have been asked to apologise and withdraw the charges the company's MD and Arun Jaitley

Lokesh Sharma, Managing Director of a company which the AAP had accused of taking huge commissions in the DDCA affair, has threatened to sue its leaders Ashutosh and Sanjay Singh for criminal defamation proceedings if they do not apologise and withdraw the charges against him and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

In a legal notice served by Sharma, Managing Director of 21st Century Media Private Limited, the AAP leaders have been accused of making allegations against him and Jaitley which are "baseless and defamatory and are factually false".

The allegations were made at a press conference here earlier this week in the AAP campaign against alleged corruption in the Delhi and District Cricket Association.

The notice, drafted by legal firm Karanjawala and Co, referred to the allegation made by the two leaders that illegal corporate boxes were constructed and were sub leased to 10 corporate houses by a company "close" to Jaitley and his family.

They also alleged that the company, 21st Century Media (TCM), was tasked to sell and sub-lease the boxes for 10 years at Rs 36 crore for which a commission of Rs 5.4 crores was paid to the company and suggested that Jaitley knew why the commission was paid to TCM.

"At the outset, not only are your allegations baseless and defamatory but are factually false. You have stated that a sum of Rs. 5.4 crores was paid to us as commission. The said statement is completely false.

"It is pertinent to point out that the commission that we received from the sale of 35 boxes and management of services of those boxes for a period spread over 10 years was a sum of Rs 1,24,15,410 which was from the sale of boxes and in addition a sum of Rs 63,16,630 was paid to us from the sale of Ends, Stands, Pavilions and Management of services again for a period of 10 years," said the notice.

The notice also gave the break-up of how the money was received for various services rendered by TCM.

Referring to the threat at the press conference the two leaders had made about "disclosing" the names of the Directors of TCM, the notice clarified that the Directors of TCM were indeed Lokesh Sharma, his father Ram Nath Sharma and his wife Gazala Akbar Sharma and no one else.

"In view of the above, you are hereby called upon to comply with the following requisitions: To issue, as a matter of urgency a full and unequivocal public retraction and apology in terms to be agreed upon by us."

"Cease to make any such allegations with immediate effect and undertake not repeat the same against our client at any time in the future," the notice said.

It also warned that failure to comply with their demand, Sharma would be compelled to initiate stringent and appropriate legal proceedings at any place, in or outside India.

It also warned of such proceedings in the civil or criminal proceedings or both, including damages towards Sharma's reputation.