Delhi court quashes summons issued to CM Atishi in defamation case

A Delhi court on Tuesday quashed summons issued to Chief Minister Atishi in a defamation case filed by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Praveen Shankar Kapoor, Live Law reported.

The suit was filed in April after Aam Aadmi Party leaders alleged that the BJP had attempted to lure them and MLAs by offering money to switch parties.

Special Judge Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Court set aside the chief metropolitan magistrate’s order in May, which directed the issuance of summons to Atishi.

On Tuesday, Gogne cited freedom of speech as an “overarching principle” to quash the summons.

“It is the freedom of speech as an overarching principle, which permits one man’s subaltern to be another man’s Naxal, it permits one man’s freebie to be another man’s welfare, it even permits one man’s martyr to be another man’s militant,” The Indian Express quoted the order.

The judge added: “If the interpretation of the complainant is accepted, almost every top leader of every political party in India would become liable to prosecution for defamation.”

This came amid the Assembly elections campaign in Delhi. The polling in the national capital will take place on February 5 and the votes will be counted on February 8.

BJP leader Kapoor had filed the defamation case against Atishi and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal in April in connection with allegations made by the…

Read more