Former Delhi CM Khurana summoned for defaming woman

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate J N Kumar has issued summons to former Delhi chief minister Madan Lal Khurana for allegedly defaming a woman by calling her a ''prostitute''.

Taking taking cognisance of a complaint filed by Mahila Sankirtan Mandal member Sudesh Manchanda, the judge said there was a prima facie defamation case against the former chief minister under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code. He asked Khurana to appear before his court on November 3.

In her petition, Manchanda said that on April 28, 1997, Khurana, accompanied by the police and party workers, visited her office-cum-residence in Ramesh Nagar, west Delhi. Accusing her of ''running a brothel'', Khurana threatened to demolish her building.

Manchanda alleged that Khurana was upset with her as she stalled the attempts of his supporters to grab a plot of land belonging to a trust. She filed the complaint in May.

The judge issued the summons after examining three witnesses in the case. One of the witnesses, Kailash Chand alleged that he was roughed up in a police station to deter him from deposing before the court.