Delhi High Court summons Shashi Tharoor in civil defamation suit by BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar | Delhi News
The Delhi High Court on Monday issued a summons to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in a civil defamation suit by BJP leader and former MP Rajeev Chandrashekhar.
Chandrasekhar, represented by advocate Vaibhav Gaggar, has accused Tharoor of defaming and damaging his reputation. This accusation follows Tharoor’s alleged statement during a TV interview ahead of Lok Sabha elections 2024 that Chandrasekhar had bribed people for votes.
Chandrasekhar is seeking damages for the loss of his reputation in society and a permanent injunction against Tharoor. He alleged that Tharoor’s remarks contributed to his defeat in the Lok Sabha elections from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency in Kerala. Tharoor won the seat for the fourth consecutive time, with a margin of over 16,000 votes against Chandrasekhar.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav issued a summons and directed that the defamation plaint be registered as a suit and listed the matter for consideration before the joint registrar on April 28.
In April 2024, Chandrasekhar sent a legal notice to Tharoor, asking the MP to withdraw his earlier allegations and issue an unconditional apology. However, according to Chandrasekhar, Tharoor failed to withdraw his statements and the interview videos continued circulating.
In August 2024, the Delhi High Court transferred the criminal defamation suit filed by Chandrasekhar against Tharoor from the Patiala district court to the district sessions judge of Rouse Avenue court while directing the parties to “appear in person” later that month. The Rouse Avenue court holds jurisdiction over conducting trials involving cases pertaining to sitting MPs/MLAs. The suit was initially filed before the Patiala court as both the complainant and the accused reside in Delhi under the North Avenue police station.
In September 2024, the Rouse Avenue court took cognisance of the defamation complaint and initiated proceedings. The court has yet to decide if it will issue a summons to Tharoor in the criminal complaint case.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
