New Delhi, Aug 1 A Delhi court on Tuesday refused to stay the proceedings in a defamation complaint filed by Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat against Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for ‘misleading statements’ against him in connection with the Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society scam.
The court, however, allowed Gehlot to appear before a metropolitan magistrate through video conference.
Gehlot on Monday challenged before the sessions court the summons issued to him by a magistrate's court in the matter.
Special Judge M K Nagpal of Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday said that Gehlot’s physical and personal appearance before the magisterial court on August 7 may not be practically convenient and necessary, but he saw no ground for staying the proceedings.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjeet Singh Jaspal had, on July 6, issued summons to Gehlot in the case, and had ordered him to appear on August 7.
The judge directed the metropolitan magistrate not to insist on physical presence of Gehlot on August 7, and permit him to join the proceedings through VC.
“Though physical and personal appearance of the petitioner as an accused before the ACMM in the above said case on August 7, 2023 may not be practically convenient and necessary, but this court sees no reason or ground for staying the proceedings of above complaint case or as to why appearance cannot be filed by petitioner in the said court through Video Conferencing (VC) mode,” the judge said.
Judge Nagpal had posted the matter for further hearing on Gehlot’s application on August 19.
He also directed Sekhawat to file his formal reply and detailed arguments on facts as well as on law.
Earlier, the court had directed the police to investigate Shekhawat's complaint.
Judge Jaspal had said that the investigation should be such that the answers to these three questions — whether complainant Shekhawat was addressed as “an accused” in the Sanjivani scam by the accused Gehlot, whether Gehlot stated that the allegations against Shekhawat stand proved in the Sanjivani scam and whether Shekhawat or his family members have been arrayed as “an accused" in the investigation of the scam -- are answered.
Shekhawat filed the defamation case against Gehlot in March this year and had said that an investigation was initiated in the case but his name was not mentioned anywhere and demanded the prosecution of Gehlot for criminal defamation under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
He has also demanded appropriate financial compensation for the loss of his reputation.
Earlier, the war of words between Gehlot and Shekhawat had intensified over the Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society scam with the Rajasthan Chief Minister openly declaring the Union Minister "a culprit like the others".
"The Union Minister is trying to mislead the public in the case of the Sanjivani Cooperative Society Ltd scam. In the investigation of the Special Operation Group (SOG), the crime has been proved against him under the same sections as the other arrested accused."
Shekhawat had said that Gehlot terming him as an 'accused' in the Sanjivani scam is akin to his "political assassination to settle scores".
"The SOG presented three charge sheets but there is neither mine nor my family's name anywhere. Still, the Chief Minister called me an accused," he had said.
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