Defamation Case: Delhi HC Summons Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, Others

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday has summoned Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai and others in a defamation suit filed by BJD MP and Senior Lawyer Pinaki Mishra for levelling allegations of corruption against him and using defamatory words by calling him “Canning Lane”, “Odia Babu” & “Dalal of Puri” etc.

Meanwhile, Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai also assured the court that he wouldn’t make any statements accusing Pinaki Mishra of being in a conspiracy against PM Narendra Modi.

The bench of Justice Jasmeet Singh after noting down the submissions, issued summons to all defendants made in the suit.

Court observed that since the CBI is looking into the matter, one should restrict from making such allegations in the public domain.

Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai during hearing also provided the complaint copy filed by him in CBI to the Court in sealed cover.

BJD MP Pinaki Mishra through suit stated that he shares a close friendship with Defendant’s (Jai Anant Dehadrai’s) former partner Mahua Moitra and became acquainted with Defendant (Jai Anant) through common friends / social circles and has limited interactions with Jai Anant on certain occasions.

CASE DETAILS

On account of the personal differences between Jai Anant and Mahua Moitra, on 14 October 2023, Jai Anant Dehadrai has filed complaint to the CBI Complaint, wherein he made various allegations of bribery and corruption against Moitra.

Jai Anant Dehadrai has also referred to the Plaintiff (Pinaki Mishra) as the “MP from Orissa”, who was allegedly a “close associate of Mahua Moitra” in the stated complaint.

Thereafter, in November 2023, Jai Anant Dehadrai continued making a barrage of allegations not only against Ms Moitra, but persons with whom she shared a personal relationship including the Plaintiff.

CASE HISTORY

Previously in November 2023, Jai Anant Dehadrai started publishing a series of tweets on X (Formerly Twitter) platform, and the Plaintiff’ was repeatedly identified as the person being referred to by Jai Anant through several coined pseudonyms such as “Canning Lane” & “Oriya / Odia Babu” while alluding to his theories about criminal conspiracies.

In furtherance of this identification of the Plaintiff as the target of the defendant tweets, defendant published tweets dated on 26 November 2023 & 27 January 2024 with pictures of Mahua Moitra and the Plaintiff during sessions of the Parliament.

Furthermore, the suit stated that between January-April 2024, Jai Anant Dehadrai has incessantly tweeted vile, malicious, false and per se defamatory allegations by making references such as “Canning Lane” / “Odia Babu” / “Dalal of Puri”.

Defendant Jai Anant Dehadrai has also created a pseudonymous account on Defendant tweets on X (Formerly Twitter) platform by the name of “Chandrawami Pinaki Moitra” / “Ahmed Ansari”, through which Defendant has not only continued to post such vile, malicious and per se defamatory allegations, but has also commented to confirm that the use of “Canning Lane” / “Odia Babu” / “Dalal of Puri” in Jai Anant Dehadrai tweets refers to the Plaintiff.

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