Delhi court will consider Rajasthan CM Gehlot’s appeal against Shekhawat
New Delhi: A court here on Friday said it will consider on December 7 the appeal filed by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot against Union Minister and BJP leader Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for accusing him of making defamatory statements related to the Sanjeevani scam.
Shekhawat has accused Gehlot of making “misleading statements” in connection with the Sanjeevani Credit Cooperative Society scam in Rajasthan.
Rouse Avenue court’s Additional Sessions Judge MK Nagpal said both Gehlot and Shekhawat have filed their written arguments in the case and said his earlier direction to the magistrate court to pass the final order on the Union minister’s complaint by the next date of hearing. Was prevented from doing. Will continue till 7th December.
“Copies of written submissions have also been exchanged. The interim orders will continue till the next date of hearing,” the judge said.
The court had completed hearing the arguments on Gehlot’s appeal on November 8. Gehlot had earlier defended his arguments, saying that his statements were true and could not be categorized as defamation.
Gehlot’s lawyer had informed Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjeet Singh Jaspal of the Rouse Avenue court that Shekhawat had been served a notice by the Special Operation Group (SOG) of the Rajasthan Police, which was probing the alleged Rs 900 crore scam.
Shekhawat had replied to the notice, but Gehlot claimed that Shekhawat had hidden this fact.
The lawyer had argued that Gehlot had never accused Shekhawat of being “guilty” in the case, adding that “he (Gehlot) had said that the complainant (Shekhawat) is also an accused in the case” and that this was not defamation. And Gehlot has made such a true statement.
On September 19, the court had refused to discharge Gehlot in Shekhawat’s criminal defamation complaint and said his request had no merit.
Earlier, the court had directed the police to investigate Shekhawat’s complaint.
Jaspal had said that the investigation should be such that three main questions – whether the complainant Shekhawat was addressed as “accused” in the Sanjeevani scam by accused Gehlot, whether Gehlot said that the allegations against Shekhawat in the Sanjeevani scam were proved Are, and whether Shekhawat or his family members have been listed as “accused” in the scam investigation – this has been answered.
Shekhawat had filed a defamation case against Gehlot in March this year, stating that an investigation into the Sanjeevani case had been initiated but his name was not mentioned anywhere, and under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. Had demanded prosecution against Gehlot for criminal defamation (IPC).
He also demanded appropriate financial compensation for the loss of his reputation.
After the budget review meeting at the state secretariat on February 21, Gehlot had said that the entire Shekhawat family, including his parents and wife, was involved in the Sanjeevani scam. Gehlot had also welcomed the filing of the defamation case, saying, “At least the case will move forward on this pretext.”
