Supreme Court Grants Relief To Arvind Kejriwal And Atishi In Criminal Defamation Case

The Supreme Court has upheld the relief granted to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his colleague Atishi in a criminal defamation case. A bench led by Justice Hrishikesh Roy has extended the stay on proceedings in the trial court by another six weeks. Earlier, the court had put a hold on the trial court’s hearings during the last session.

The case relates to a defamation suit filed by BJP leader Rajeev Babbar. During the hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the petitioners, argued that criminal defamation law has no merit unless there is actual harm caused. Singhvi pointed out that the complaint claimed “irreparable damage” due to the allegations. He also referred to the Shashi Tharoor case, where the Supreme Court had earlier stayed the trial court proceedings, suggesting that a similar order could be issued in this case.

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However, the lawyer representing Rajeev Babbar argued that this case was distinct from the Tharoor case, and therefore, a stay on the trial court’s proceedings should not be imposed.

The defamation case stems from statements made by Kejriwal and Atishi concerning allegations of removing the names of the Agarwal community from the voter list. Babbar had filed the case in 2019, accusing the Delhi leaders of making statements that misled the public. The trial court had earlier summoned both Kejriwal and Atishi to appear, a decision challenged by them in the Delhi High Court. The High Court had refused to dismiss the case and upheld the summons, directing them to appear before the trial court.

The dispute between BJP and AAP leaders over the voter list issue had escalated, with both sides exchanging accusations. Babbar alleged that Kejriwal used social media to incite people against the BJP over the Agarwal community’s voter list controversy.

The Supreme Court’s decision to extend the stay means the trial court’s proceedings remain on hold for now, providing temporary relief to the Delhi leaders. The case continues to attract significant attention as it unfolds.