Kejriwal seeks time from HC for replying to defamation plea of MP

Former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today sought time from the Delhi High Court for replying to a plea of a Haryana Congress MP seeking damages of Rs one crore from the AAP leader on the grounds that he has been allegedly defamed.

"The written statement be filed within four weeks. Put up the matter before the Joint Registrar on September 19 for completion of pleadings and admisison/denial of documents," Justice A K Pathak said.

At the start of the hearing, Kejriwal's lawyer sought some more time for filing the written statement in response to the law suit filed by Avtar Singh Bhadana, a Congress MP from Faridabad Lok Sabha seat in Haryana.

The court had on February 19 issued a notice to Kejriwal.

It had, however, refused to pass any interim order on the petition of the lawmaker saying "people are winning elections even from jail. Common public is not so bothered about all this."

Bhadana, in his defamation case, has sought the damages of Rs one crore from Kejriwal on the ground that the former Chief Minister had allegedly tarnished his image by branding him as "corrupt".

The Congress MP contended in his petition that Kejriwal had on January 31 this year in a public statement termed him as one of the "most corrupt persons in India".

"The defendant (Kejriwal), who himself is an elected representative of Delhi, has chosen to name him (Bhadana) on January 31, 2014 as one of most corrupt persons of India in his public statement causing serious damage to the plaintiff's reputation among his electorates, peers and supporters throughout India with a view to taking electoral advantage in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2014," the plea said.

Bhadana has contended in his plea that despite sending a legal notice to Kejriwal, the AAP leader has not withdrawn his comments nor apologised for the same.

The petition also sought a permanent injunction against Kejriwal restraining him from making any allegations against the Congress MP.