Dikshit's defamation case: Delhi BJP chief summoned

Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party President Vijender Gupta was on Monday summoned by a court here on Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's complaint for his prosecution for allegedly defaming her.

Metropolitan Magistrate Saumya Chauhan directed Gupta to appear in the court on June 22 to respond to Dikshit's allegation that he had defamed her before the recent Municipal Corporation of Delhi polls.

"I find it a fit case to call the respondent (Gupta) under Section 499/500 (criminal defamation) of the IPC. So the respondent is summoned for June 22," the magistrate said.

Dikshit's lawyer Mehmood Paracha, who was allowed to go through the order told reporters that the court in its order has said that reputation is the most important thing for a person and in this case, it is clear that Sheila Dikshit has been called as "cheat and villain" by Gupta, which is defamatory.

The counsel had earlier told the court that the BJP leader is required to be summoned to ascertain if his defamatory remarks before the April 15 civil polls were to gain political mileage by maligning the chief minister.

Dikshit had recorded her statement before the magistrate in the case on May 30.

She had filed the criminal defamation case alleging that the BJP leader used "uncivilised" language before MCD polls. The chief minister had also filed a civil suit in the Delhi High Court against Gupta for erecting hoardings across the city, accusing her government of conniving with private discoms and indulging in corruption in determining power tariff.

The chief minister had testified that she had sent legal notices to Gupta after the civic polls but the BJP leader did not apologise and rather stood by his remarks.        BJP's Delhi unit president Vijender Gupta had earlier filed an application seeking dismissal of the case.