A Delhi court has issued a notice to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on a defamation complaint filed by Lipika Mitra, the wife of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Somnath Bharti.
Bharti was AAP's candidate from the New Delhi parliamentary constituency for the 2024 elections. His wife has alleged that Sitharaman in a press conference had made defamatory utterances against Bharti to weaken his chances of winning the elections. has accused Sitharaman of "making and publishing defamatory, derogatory and libelous remarks in print and electronic media" against her and Bharti during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
It has been alleged that for political gains, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader had wrongly spoken about alleged marital discord between Mitra and Bharti.The complaint, linked to statements allegedly made during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, accuses Sitharaman of making “defamatory, derogatory and libellous” remarks about Mitra and her husband in both print and electronic media. Mitra claims these remarks were made for political gain and aimed at harming Bharti's electoral prospects.The complaint adds that Sitharaman's statements were aimed at tarnishing the reputation of her husband and damage his social standing and goodwill in the society.
The notice was issued by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Paras Dalal, who, in an order dated May 19, noted that the proposed accused must be given an opportunity to be heard under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). “Matter is at the stage of cognisance and in compliance of first proviso to section 223 BNSS, the proposed accused is to be given opportunity of being heard. Accordingly, on filing of PF within 03 days from today, let notice be issued to proposed accused,”
the judge ordered.
"Almost like every couple, the complainant and her husband had developed certain issues and the same though unfortunately, had got blown out of proportion resulting in media trial etc but courtesy well wishers of the family, the matter was finally settled in all aspects on May 7, 2019 and since then the complainant and her husband Mr. Somnath Bharti are living happily with children, a fact which was widely reported in the media and everyone had come to know of it but during the press conference, solely with an intent to hurt the complainant and her husband solely for political gains to BJP's candidate and political loss to the complainant's husband during 2024 Loksabha Election, the accused spoke about the matrimonial discord of the complainant and her husband but withheld the information of their reunion and living together happily," Mitra said in the complaint.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for June 12.
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