SC quashes defamation complaint as Tejashwi Yadav withdraws 'only Gujaratis can be thugs' statement

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday quashed a defamation complaint filed against former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav in Ahemdabad court for his contentious remarks "only Gujaratis can be thugs” after he apologised and withdrew his statement.

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan provided the relief to the RJD leader after accepting his apology affidavit in the matter.

Last month, the court had asked why the prosecution for defamation should continue when Yadav has withdrawn his remarks.

Yadav filed a petition seeking transfer of the criminal defamation complaint pending against him in an Ahmedabad court to a place outside the state, preferably Delhi.

The bench had then indicated to exercise powers under Article 142 of the Constitution.

The complaint against Yadav was filed under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for alleged criminal defamation.

The court had earlier stayed the proceedings and issued notice to the Gujarat resident, Haresh Mehta, a local businessman and activist, who has filed the defamation complaint.

In August last year, a Gujarat court had conducted a preliminary enquiry against Yadav under section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and found sufficient grounds to summon him on the complaint filed by Mehta.

Mehta claimed that Yadav, while talking to the media in Patna in March last year, had said, “Only Gujaratis can be thugs in the present situation, and their fraud will be forgiven.”

“Who will be responsible if they run away with the money belonging to the LIC or banks," the then Bihar Deputy CM had allegedly asked.