Court summons UP Cong chief in defamation case

A special court to try MPs and MLAs here summoned UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu in a defamation case filed by a state cabinet minister.

Taking cognisance of the offence under Section 500 of the IPC, the court of Judge P K Rai fixed March 2 as the next date of hearing on a plea filed by UP Power Minister Shrikant Sharma.

In his complaint, Sharma alleged that Lallu had levelled false and defamatory allegations against him in the DHFL case.

Lallu had accused the minister of misleading people in connection with the Rs 2,600-crore EPF scam.

He had said that power employees' provident fund was invested in Dewan Housing Finance Limited under Sharma's tenure and had sought a probe into the minister's alleged Dubai visit in September-October 2017, saying it smacked of national security issues.

In his plea before the court, Sharma alleged that the Congress chief made false and highly defamatory comments against him in the case, which were telecast on several TV channels and published by different newspapers.