Defamation case: Kejriwal apologises to Nitin Gadkari, Kapil Sibal''s son : The Tribune India

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Defamation case: Kejriwal apologises to Nitin Gadkari, Kapil Sibal''s son

NEW DELHI: A local court on Monday acquitted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of criminal defamation charges brought by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Congress leader Kapil Sibal''s lawyer son Amit Sibal after the chief of the Aam Aadmi Party tendered separate apologies to the two leaders.

Defamation case: Kejriwal apologises to Nitin Gadkari, Kapil Sibal''s son

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal. File photo



New Delhi, March 19

A local court on Monday acquitted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of criminal defamation charges brought by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Congress leader Kapil Sibal's lawyer son Amit Sibal after the chief of the Aam Aadmi Party tendered separate apologies to the two leaders. 

Kejriwal and Gadkari submitted a joint application to the court on earlier in the day seeking withdrawal of the defamation case.

The application was moved before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal after Kejriwal's counsel submitted the letter in which the AAP leader has expressed regret for making statements without regard to their verifiability.

(Read: Sisodia defends apology spree, says want to spend time working for people)

"I made certain statements, without regard to its verifiability, which seem to have hurt you and therefore you have filed a defamation case against me. I have nothing personal against you. I regret the same," the letter written on March 16 said.

Gadkari had moved the court against Kejriwal for allegedly defaming him by including his name in the Aam Aadmi Party's list of "India's most corrupt".

Kejriwal and Sisodia also apologised for making "unfounded allegations" against Sibal in a letter that was submitted before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vishal.

Sibal and the AAP leaders filed a joint application in the court seeking withdrawal of the case filed in 2013 later in the day.

The court then posted the matter for further hearing on April 6 when it will consider the joint application for disposing off the case amicably in view of the written apology.

Besides Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, complainant Amit Sibal had also named former AAP members Prashant Bhushan and Shazia Ilmi as accused in the case.

The lower court on September 20, 2014, had put all the four accused on trial for the charge under section 500 (defamation) of the IPC.

After Kejrwal's apology, Congress leader Kapil Sibal said to the press: "Kejriwal ji and Sisodia ji have accepted that the allegations they had put on my son and me in a press conference few years ago were baseless. They've apologised for the same today. He has apologised for what he did. Everything is forgotten now. We will move ahead".

However, defamation proceedings in Sibal's case will continue against former AAP leaders Prashant Bhushan and Shazia Ilmi, who is now in BJP.

Kejriwal had earlier tendered an apology to Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia for having levelled “unfounded” allegations related to involvement in drugs trade against him, following which the latter too decided to withdraw the court case against him.

Kejriwal's spate of apologi comes amid reports that he is likely to apologise in all 33 criminal defamation cases pending against him.  Although his apology has drawn flak from within the party and outside,  AAP leaders say it is a strategy by the legal team to shed court cases in which the party convenor is mired.   PTI/Agencies

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