Court reserves order on DDCA's plea against Kejriwal, Azad

A Delhi court would pronounce on Monday its order on a criminal defamation plea filed by DDCA and its vice president Chetan Chauhan against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and suspended BJP MP Kirti Azad for allegedly defaming the cricketing body by making “scandalous” remarks.

Metropolitan Magistrate Abhilash Malhotra on Saturday fixed the matter for January 30 for pronouncing order after hearing arguments of the complainant’s counsel on pre-summoning evidence.

Advocate Sangram Patnaik, appearing for Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) and Chauhan, argued that all ingredients of criminal defamation are being made out under the CrPC and the complaint is squarely covered by a Supreme Court verdict where criminal defamation complaint can be filed by a company.

“In an interview to a news channel, Kejriwal had alleged that apart from financial irregularities, there were other major wrong-doings in DDCA, including sex racket.

“Kejriwal had alleged that sexual exchange is sought for by DDCA while making any player play for the team and this amounts to defamation,” Patnaik contended.

Chauhan had earlier claimed that the defamatory statements were made by Kejriwal and Azad, who himself is a member of DDCA, “to remain in public eye and gain political mileage”.

“The aforesaid actions of the accused have severely damaged the credibility and reputation of the complainant in the eyes of thousands of cricket lovers, citizens of India as well as internationally.

“It has always been a serious apprehension, which has come true in this case, where provocative statements, irrespective of their falsity, have entered the realm of the internet and social media, and are being republished and forwarded again and again making it next to impossible to squelch the same,” the petition has said.

The plea alleged that Kejriwal had made “scandalous” remarks against DDCA on national television due to which the cricketing body and Chauhan have suffered irreparable loss in the public eye. It has claimed Kejriwal’s “false” statements were immediately endorsed and repeated by Azad.

It denied all allegations levelled by Kejriwal and Azad, sought their prosecution besides damages from them.

The court had earlier recorded Chauhan’s statement during pre-summoning evidence in which he said his image as well as that of DDCA’s had been sullied in public eye.