HC notice to Kejriwal on Jaitley’s suit

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, May 23

The Delhi High Court today issued notice to AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal seeking his response to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s defamation suit. Jaitley has sought a compensation of Rs 10 crore from the Delhi Chief Minister for damaging his reputation by using a derogatory word during the HC proceedings last week in an earlier defamation case.

Joint Registrar Pankaj Gupta directed Kejriwal to file his reply by July 26, the next date of hearing in the case.

This is Jaitley’s third defamation case against the AAP leader. In December 2015, the BJP stalwart filed a civil suit in the HC seeking Rs 10 crore as damages and a criminal case in a trial court here, both against Kejriwal for blaming him for the alleged financial irregularities in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) for 17 years till 2013. The BJP leader was the DDCA president during the period.