A Delhi Sessions Court on Saturday directed a magisterial court here to refrain from passing the final order in a criminal complaint filed by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat against Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot accusing him of defamation.
It has directed that final order not be passed until the next date of hearing.
Additional Sessions Judge M K Nagpal, who is hearing a revision petition filed by Gehlot, allowed the trial court to continue hearing the arguments in the matter on the point on whether to frame a notice against the chief minister.
In the interest of justice, it is being directed that though the trial court may continue with hearing of arguments on the requirement of serving of a notice of accusation upon the petitioner for commission of the offence under section 500 (defamation) of the IPC, but no final order in this regard will be passed till the next date of hearing in the present revision petition, the judge said.
The judge had earlier refused to stay the proceedings in the complaint, but allowed Gehlot, a senior Congress leader, to appear before a metropolitan magistrate through video conference.
A magisterial court is hearing Union Minister and senior Rajasthan BJP leader Shekhawat’s complaint over Gehlot’s remarks linking him to the alleged Sanjivani scam in the state.
The case is related to thousands of investors allegedly getting duped of about Rs 900 crore by the Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society.
Shekhawat, the Union Jal Shakti Minister and MP from Jodhpur, has alleged in his complaint before the metropolitan magistrate that Gehlot has been making defamatory remarks against him over the alleged scam and trying to tarnish his image and affect his political career.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Harjeet Singh Jaspal had said the accused prima facie made defamatory imputations against the complainant, knowing and intending to harm his reputation.
The judge also took note of the submission made by senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, who represented Shekhawat, that the allegations in the complaint were supported by all complainant’s witnesses during their deposition.
Shekhawat has alleged in his complaint that Gehlot, by way of press conferences, media reports and social media posts publicly defamed him.
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