Court directs Kirti Azad to appear in defamation case

Suspended BJP MP Kirti Azad was today directed by a Delhi court to appear before it on May 30 as accused in a criminal defamation complaint filed by an advocate.

Metropolitan Magistrate Abhilash Malhotra summoned Azad for the next date of hearing after his counsel sought his personal exemption for the day.

The court had on December 9 last year summoned Azad as an accused for today in the defamation complaint filed against him by advocate Gautam Dutta, who had alleged that derogatory language was used against him by the ex-cricketer in an e-mail to the BCCI ombudsman and others.

The advocate had claimed that Azad had sent an e-mail to several persons on September 15, 2016, alleging that the complainant used to file false cases to impress Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) officials and others.

The court had summoned him, saying prima facie offences under sections 499 (defamation) and 500 (punishment for defamation) of IPC are made out against him.

"The complete reading of e-mail shows that the complainant is depicted in the negative shade for (allegedly) filing a false case to overawe DDCA officials and other persons. From the content of the e-mail, prima facie ingredients of sections 499/500 of the IPC are disclosed.

Accordingly, Kirti Azad be summoned for the offences...," the magistrate had said.

The court had said that from the language of the e-mail, it was clear that several derogatory expressions have been used in it.

Advocate Dutta, the complainant in the matter, has sought Azad's prosecution, saying that the former cricketer had sent an e-mail to the BCCI ombudsman and others levelling allegations against him.

He has claimed that the e-mail was widely circulated on WhatsApp and it has harmed his reputation.

The court had also examined several witnesses in support of his complaint.