Amritsar court summons Kejriwal, AAP leaders in defamation case

Chandigarh :A court in Amritsar city on Monday issued summons to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders in a defamation case filed by Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia.

The court of additional chief judicial magistrate issued summons to Kejriwal, who is the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener, and AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Ashish Khetan, asking them to appear before the court on July 29.

Majithia said said that AAP leaders have been summoned in a criminal defamation case filed against them by him under Sections 499, 500 (criminal defamation), 34 (connivance) and 120-B IPC (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

He said he wanted a speedy trial in the defamation case so that the AAP leaders go behind bars for defaming him.

The AAP leaders had openly accused Majithia of being a "drug lord" and alleged that the drugs mafia was being run under his patronage.

The allegations pertain to three incidents, first being the derogatory remarks made by Kejriwal and Singh at the Maghi Rally held at Muktsar Sahib on January 14 this year, allegations levelled against Majithia by Kejriwal during his visit to Amritsar on February 27 and statements of Singh and Khetan in Chandigarh.