Chandra not followed proper procedure filing defamation complaint against Kejriwal: Court

A Delhi court on Saturday discharged Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a defamation complaint filed by Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Chandra, saying Chandra had not followed proper procedure while filing his plea.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal granted the relief to the Aam Aadmi Party chief, noting that Chandra had filed the complaint through a power of attorney which is "barred" under the law. The court said that Chandra was at liberty to file a fresh complaint in accordance with law.

"Hence proceeding further with this case will be a futile exercise as this case is also filed through power of attorney. Accordingly, the accused Arvind Kejriwal is discharged from this case," the court said.

The media baron had on November 17, 2016, moved the court through

a power of attorney to Gulshan Kumar Sachdeva, seeking prosecution of Kejriwal for allegedly defaming him by levelling false allegations in the wake of demonetisation.

The complaint had alleged that Kejriwal, while addressing a press conference on November 11, had made "false, fabricated and defamatory allegations" against Chandra.

It alleged that the allegations "caused serious harm to his (Chandra's) reputation by imputing behaviour incompatible with proper conduct and suggestions of involvement in illegal activity".