Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court on Friday summoned AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak and AAP Municipal councilor Vikash Goel in connection with a defamation complaint filed by BJP councillor Ravinder Kumar. They are accused of making false and defamatory allegations against the BJP and its municipal councillor.
Pathak and Goel have been called before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vidhi Gupta Anand on January 23 at 2:30 PM.
“This court takes cognizance of the offence under section 499/500 IPC having considered the details of charges stated in the complaint, the statement of the complainant and witness, as well as materials on which the Complainant placed reliance,” the judge said while issuing the summons.
The complainant in this case, BJP leader Ravinder Kumar, alleged that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Pathak and councillor Goel made defamatory statements in order to tarnish the image of the BJP and its councillors.
The complaint alleged that the two AAP leaders falsely accused the BJP of corruption during a press conference they had on November 1, 2020, regarding the issue of collecting property taxes.
Even though the complainant was not specifically named by the accused, the court stated that, “averments have been made pertaining to an identifiable and specific class of persons i.e. BJP councillors, complainant is very well covered by section 199 Cr.P.C. as the person aggrieved by the offence because he is himself a BJP councillor.”
The complainant also stated that they made defamatory statements about him that lowered his moral and intellectual character in the eyes of others.
The complainant alleged that the proposed Accused persons began spreading rumours and making false and defamatory statements against the BJP, its leaders, and councillors in order to gain mileage in the upcoming Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections and to tarnish the image of the BJP and its councillors.
The complainant’s lawyer claimed that “there is a tussle with respect to revenue sharing between the BJP and the AAP.” It was stated that the BJP councillors were protesting the Delhi government for not releasing their due funds.
To divert attention away from the issue of unpaid revenue, AAP leaders “began levelling false allegations against BJP councilors,” according to the complaint.
