Delhi court grants wrestler Bajrang Punia exemption from personal appearance in defamation case

A Delhi court Thursday granted wrestler Bajrang Punia exemption from personal appearance for the day in a criminal defamation complaint filed against him by wrestling coach Naresh Dahiya.

Metropolitan Magistrate Yashdeep Chahal granted Punia the relief after his lawyer informed the court that he has gone to Kyrgyzstan for practice sessions and the upcoming Asian games.

The judge had earlier granted him exemption from personal appearance on September 6 for a day on medical grounds after his counsel said he was suffering from fever.

The judge had on August 3 directed Punia to appear before the court on September 6, noting he was of the “prima facie” view that all ingredients of defamation were made out against the wrestler.

Dahiya has claimed Punia, along with other wrestlers/persons, made defamatory remarks against him at a press conference at Jantar Mantar on May 10 during a protest against alleged sexual harassment of some women wrestlers by the outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.