Allahabad High Court sets aside defamation case against Azam Khan

The Lucknow bench of the High Court noted there was no prima facie evidence in the case against Azam Khan. File Photo

In a relief to former Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan, the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday set aside a defamation case filed against him by an IPS officer for allegedly using defamatory language at a press conference in Rampur.

The Lucknow bench of the High Court noted that there was no prima facie evidence in the case filed by Amitabh Thakur in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate to issue summons to Khan. Holding that there was no direct witness to the statements, the bench said the value of admission of guilt in criminal cases differed at different stages.

Hence, the HC quashed the summons order and the arrest warrant issued against Khan. The order has been passed by Justice Pratyush Kumar on the petition of the former minister.

It was pleaded on behalf of Khan that Thakur had nowhere stated in the complaint as to what were the defamatory remarks made by the former minister against him at the press conference in November 2015.