Court discharges Congress leader Jai Prakash Aggarwal

A Delhi court today discharged Congress leader Jai Prakash Aggarwal from charges of defacing public property while campaigning for the 2014 general elections.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal granted the relief to the accused, noting that he was facing the case for around four years for committing an act which was "not even an offence".

The court noted that there was no allegation that the accused had committed any defacement of the property by writing on it by ink, chalk, paint or any other similar material.

"The accused is facing this case for around four years for the commission of an act which is not even an offence and the trial has not even started. On the basis of the aforesaid discussion, the accused is discharged from the present case," the court said.

According to the FIR lodged in March 2014, one Lalit Mohan had complained that the accused had defaced a public property in Karawal Nagar in North-East Delhi by putting up a hoarding over a public urinal seeking votes in 2014 general elections.

The accused had told the court that the municipal urinal was a paid site for advertisements and the accused had put up the banner after paying for the site.