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Defamation case: HC seeks Majithia’s response on plea from AAP leader Sanjay Singh
The alleged defamatory statements on linking Majithia with those accused in drugs seizure cases were made on September 5, 2015, at a Moga rally
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday put SAD leader and former Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia on notice on a plea from AAP leader Sanjay Singh in 2016 defamation case.
The high court bench of justice GS Sandhawalia has sought a response from the SAD leader by March 24, said Sanjay Singh’s lawyer Ferry Sofat.
The complaint was filed in January 2016 and subsequently he was summoned by a Ludhiana court. The alleged defamatory statements on linking Majithia with those accused in drugs seizure cases were made on September 5, 2015, at a Moga rally.
It was in 2017 that a trial court in Ludhiana had dismissed application from Sanjay Singh in which he had demanded that record keeper and witness concerned of the Enforcement Directorate, Jalandhar, along with record of statements of drugs racket alleged kingpin, Jagdish Bhola, industrialist, Jagjit Chahal and SAD leader, Maninder Aualakh, all accused in the case who had got recorded their statements before ED in the infamous Bhola drugs racket case, be summoned. He had argued that said record is relevant for the purpose of cross examination of witnesses.
However, the court dismissed the plea observing that Singh failed to establish how the record of statements would render any assistance for proper adjudication of the matter, says his plea in the HC.
It further adds that on February 25, when his counsel tried to question witnesses of Majithia on statements made by these accused before ED in the defamation case proceedings, it was not allowed since the statements were not on record of the trial court. The petitioner requested court to summon the record again, but it was not allowed, the plea says demanding that February 25 order of Ludhiana court be quashed and Singh be allowed to summon record of statements made by these accused persons before the ED.
Singh had further stated that pending this plea, the proceedings before the trial court be stayed and direction be issued to Ludhiana court to summon the judicial file of Bhola drugs racket case as the same is necessary for further cross examination of witnesses . Majithia himself has admitted that he was summoned by ED in that case only. Hence, the statements are very much necessary for the adjudication of the defamation case, the court was told.
