SC declines to quash defamation case against Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: In a setback to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed his petition seeking the quashing of criminal defamation proceedings against him initiated by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Kejriwal in his plea contended that Jaitley has also filed a civil suit in the Delhi High Court.

Dismissing the plea, the bench of Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Justice Uday Umesh Lalit asked senior counsel Ram Jethmalani to show a law under which criminal and civil proceedings cannot go together.

As it was contended that the outcome of civil proceedings before the High Court would have a bearing on the criminal defamation proceedings before the subordinate court, the bench asked if there is a provision in the Evidence Act that says the High Court judgment in a civil case will be binding on the criminal defamation case.

The criminal and civil defamation proceedings were initiated by Jaitley against Kejriwal following allegations of wrongdoing in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) when the Finance Minister was at the helm of the state cricketing body.