Jain files defamation suit against Mishra, Sirsa

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Friday filed two criminal defamation complaints in a city court against sacked minister Kapil Mishra and BJP MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa, for allegedly defaming him by levelling graft charges against him.

At a press conference on May 9, Sirsa had reportedly said that Jain had indulged in the circulation of huge amounts of illegitimate money within Aam Aadmi Party. Jain said that making a statement on hearsay information without any proof or evidence and supporting it, is unbecoming of an MLA, but also a crime of defaming a person.

He also accused a media house bringing out a prominent Hindi daily for publishing Sirsa's alleged "libellous and slanderous statements".

The complaints, filed in the Tis Hazari court, have been listed for hearing on May 29 before Metropolitan Magistrate Shefali Barnala Tandon. If convicted, the offence of defamation entails a maximum punishment of two years.

In his complaint against Mishra, Jain stated that on May 7, the former had accused him of handing over a bribe of Rs 2 crore to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on May 5.

Jain said his family members and people from his constituency questioned him about the incident, which caused irreparable damage to his reputation.

"The conduct is one of the many plots made by the accused (Mishra) so as to implicate ministers of the current government in scandalous accusations. The intention behind the said planning and plotting is not only to harm the reputation of the complainant (Jain) but also the other functionaries of the government of Delhi," Jain's complaint said.

"The accused has been involved in making baseless statements against ministers of the government before the national media and is still continuing the same," Jain alleged.

"He (Mishra) knew that making the statements before the media shall lead to its publication throughout the nation, which shall be read by the majority of the population. The accused knew that the publication and reading of the same by a citizen of this country shall create a discord with respect to the state government which may help him to achieve his plan to usurp the government and take its control," Jain claimed.

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference here on Friday, AAP lead Sanjay Singh accused the BJP-led Centre of using the Central Bureau of Investigation, Income Tax department, Enforcement Directorate and police against AAP leaders.

"Delhi Police has crossed all limits in their investigations against us; they have not even left Somnath Bharti's dog," the AAP leader quipped. He stated that no AAP leader has committed any kind of mistake. "Had any of our leaders been involved in any wrongdoings, he would not have been let off by police," Singh said.