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SC stays RSS's defamation case against Kesri in Pratapgarh court

The Supreme Court today stayed further proceedings in a criminal defamation complaint filed against former Congress president Sitaram Kesri before a magistrate at Pratapgarh in Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan for his alleged statement that the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh was responsible for the series of bomb blasts at Coimbatore on February 14.

The interim stay was granted by a three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice M M Punchhi, Justices K T Thomas and D P Wadhwa while issuing notices on a petition seeking transfer of all such complaints filed elsewhere in the courts of West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

The notices were made returnable by July 13.

Criminal and civil defamation suits have been filed by the RSS at various places in the country for Kesri's alleged statement made on February 15 in New Delhi at a press conference.

In his petition, Kesri had contended that he was 83 years old and was hence unable to run to different places to attend the trial. It could therefore be expedient in the interest of justice that all the defamation cases against him were transferred to Delhi at one place and tried by one court.

The Pratapgarh court had issued warrants for his appearance on May 8.

In a similar case, pending before the chief metropolitan magistrate of Delhi, Kesri had already been granted bail.

UNI

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