Satyendar Jain files defamation pleas against Kapil, AAP MLA

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain today filed two criminal defamation complaints in a city court against sacked minister Kapil Mishra and an AAP MLA for allegedly defaming him by levelling graft charges against him.
Jain accused AAP MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa of defaming him by organising a press conference and alleging that the minister was indulging in circulating huge amounts of illegitimate money within the party.
He also accused a media house bringing out a prominent Hindi daily for publishing the alleged "libellous and slanderous statements" made by Sirsa.
The complaints, filed in the Tis Hazari court, have been listed for hearing on May 29 before Metropolitan Magistrate Shefali Barnala Tandon.

If convicted, the offence of defamation entails a maximum punishment of two years.
Jain in his complaint filed against Mishra, who was earlier heading the water department, submitted that on May 7, the sacked minister made a statement before the media accusing him of handing over bribe of Rs two crore to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on May 5.

He said his family members and a lot of people from his constituency questioned him about the incident which caused irreparable damage to his reputation.
"The conduct is one of the many plots made by the accused Mishra) so as to implicate the ministers of the current government in scandalous accusations. The intention behind the said planning and plotting is not only to harm the reputation of the complainant (Jain) but also the other functionaries of the government of Delhi.

"The accused has been involved in making baseless statements against the current ministers of the government of Delhi before the national media and is still continuing the same," Jain alleged.
He said instead of approaching the law enforcement agencies, Mishra contacted the media with the allegations.
"He (Mishra) knew that making the statements before the media shall lead to its publication throughout the nation, which shall be read by majority of the population. The accused knew that the publication and reading of the same by a citizen of this country shall create a discord with respect to the state government which may help him to achieve his plan to usurp the government and take its control," Jain claimed.

Regarding Sirsa, Jain said that on May 9, the MLA made libellous statement by levelling corruption allegation against him. He said that making a statement on hearsay information without any proof or evidence and supporting it, is not only unbecoming of an MLA, but also a crime of defaming a person.
"Take cognizance, issue summons, try and punish the accused person and/or other unknown persons whose names may be revealed during the investigation for the commission of offences under Sections 500 (punishment for defamation) and other relevant provisions of IPC," the plea said.