A Delhi Court on Monday ordered former Delhi Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to appear before it on May 21 in connection with a criminal defamation complaint filed against him by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nitin Gadkari.
The Metropolitan Magistrate Gomati Manocha had earlier issued summon against Kejriwal on Gadkari's complaint, which alleged that the BJP leader was defamed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief, who had included the former's name in Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) list of 'India's most corrupt'.
The AAP chief's lawyer sought an extension claiming that he is busy in campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections which were kicked off from today.
"The accused is directed to appear positively on May 21," Manocha later ruled.
Gadkari complained that statements allegedly made by Kejriwal were an attempt to malign his reputation.
Senior lawyer Pinki Anand, who is Gadkari's counsel, had argued that the statements Kejriwal had made against the BJP leader were "baseless and false allegation" with a "malafide intention" to put a blot on his reputation.
