AAP's Raghav Chadha moves HC challenging summons in defamation complaint

Goswami alleged that two AAP, Chadha and Jain, leaders made the remarks to lower the moral and intellectual character of the complainant in the eyes of the general public

AAP leader Raghav Chadha on Monday approached the Delhi High Court challenging the summons issued to him by a trial court in a criminal defamation complaint filed by Delhi BJP leader Chhail Bihari Goswami.

As the matter came up before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, Chadha's counsel said that they wanted to file certain additional documents in the case and sought some time.

The high court listed the matter for hearing on December 11.

A magisterial court had earlier issued summons to AAP leaders Satyendar Jain and Raghav Chadha in the defamation complaint and the sessions court upheld it on November 9, saying that the summoning order was perfectly correct and legal on facts as well as in law.

Chadha challenged the sessions court order before the high court.

Goswami had filed the complaint before a metropolitan magistrate here accusing Jain, a former Delhi minister and sitting MLA, and Chadha, a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, of having made alleged defamatory remarks against him over North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) funds. Goswami was the chairperson of the NDMC Standing Committee.

He alleged that the two AAP leaders made the remarks to lower the moral and intellectual character of the complainant in the eyes of the general public.