No admissible evidence placed by Gadkari: Digvijay tells court

Congress leader Digvijay Singh today contended before a Delhi court that BJP leader Nitin Gadkari has not placed any "admissible evidence" against him in a criminal defamation case filed by him.
Arguing on the point of framing of notice, senior advocate Ramesh Gupta, appearing for Singh, said it was required to be seen whether the material placed before the court by the complainant was admissible evidence.
"Whether they (Gadkari) have brought on record any evidence which is primary or admissible evidence?," he told Metropolitan Magistrate Gomati Manocha.
Gupta further said "as on today, there is no admissible evidence" which has been brought before the court by the complainant.

Countering his submissions, senior advocate Pinky Anand, who appeared for Gadkari, said admissibility of evidence could be seen at the stage of trial.
"This is not a stage of trial. Admissibility of evidence comes during the trial. At this stage, a complaint and statement of the complainant supporting it is enough," Anand said.

She argued that admissibility of evidence was not required to be seen at the stage of framing of notice.
The court, after hearing the submissions, fixed the matter for February 28 for further arguments.
Gadkari, now a Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, had earlier ruled out any possibility of reaching a compromise with Singh, saying he would not withdraw his complaint unless the Congress leader takes back his statement of 2012 on his alleged business links with the then MP Ajay Sancheti.

Singh, who was summoned as an accused in the complaint, had said "in my life I have never withdrawn my statement".