Defamation case: HC reserves order on Kejriwal’s plea

The Delhi high court on Monday reserved its order on chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea to stay the trial court proceedings in a criminal defamation case filed against him and other Aam Aadmi Party leaders by finance minister Arun Jaitley.

Justice PS Teji reserved the judgement after the counsel for both the parties concluded their arguments on the plea challenging the trial court’s May 19 order turning down the chief minister’s request to adjourn hearing on the criminal defamation case till the high court decided the civil suit before it.

Senior advocate Ram Jethmalani, appearing for Kejriwal, submitted that there were two cases — one civil and the other criminal — filed against the AAP leaders on the same allegations and the trial court should have stayed the proceedings in the matter, but it declined.

“The trial court judge had said that he has no power to stay the proceedings,” Jethmalani said. “Power to stay can be exercised by postponing the matter also.”

Opposing the contention, senior advocates Harish Salve and Siddharth Luthra, representing Jaitley, said that in “today’s world, the words used are more powerful than sword”.

“No prejudice would be caused to the AAP leaders if both the civil suit before the high court and the criminal proceedings before the trial court go contemporaneously,” Luthra said.