NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister
Arvind Kejriwal and four other
AAP functionaries have apologised to Union minister
Arun Jaitley for their defamatory statements against him on the
DDCA controversy.
Following the apologies, both Jaitley and the AAP netas - Kejriwal, Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chadha, Ashutosh and Deepak Bajpai - filed joint applications in the Delhi high court and a Patiala House court on Monday to put an end to the twoyear-old civil and criminal defamation cases.
Jaitley said he accepts the apology "and does not wish to further prosecute the suit". While the application in Patiala House sought the court's nod to permit Jaitley to withdraw the defamation case, in their joint plea in HC, the minister, while accepting the apology, urged the court to pass a decree on his suit instead of withdrawing it.
In HC, Jaitley had filed a civil defamation suit in December 2015 claiming Rs 10 crore as damages. Later, when Kejriwal's counsel Ram Jethmalani made disparaging remarks against Jaitley during his cross-examination in court, the minister filed a second defamation suit.
Meanwhile, he had also lodged a criminal defamation case against the AAP functionaries for their remarks relating to alleged large-scale financial irregularities in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) during his tenure as president of the cricket body.
Along with Kejriwal, five other AAP functionaries, including Kumar Vishwas, were facing proceedings in both the high court and the trial court. Vishwas, however, hasn't apologised.
In his letter, Kejriwal claimed "allegations made by me were based on information and papers furnished to me by certain individuals who represented to have first-hand insight into the affairs of DDCA. However, I have recently discovered that the information and the imputations contained therein are unfounded and unwarranted and I was clearly misinformed into making these allegations."
He added: "Therefore, I unequivocally withdraw all the allegations made by me in question - whether made in print, electronic or social media - against you. I offer my sincere apology to you and your family members for any harm caused to your reputation as a consequence of my allegations." The chief minister also referred to the remarks by his then lawyer Jethmalani which had triggered a second defamation suit.
"I categorically state that the disparaging and malicious statements made by Mr Ram Jethmalani, the senior advocate representing me, were without my knowledge and/or instructions," Kejriwal said, adding that he doesn't approve of the senior lawyer's statements. The first joint application in the high court informs it that the AAP functionaries have tendered an "unqualified" apology for their statements against Jaitley and his family members and also "unequivocally" withdrawn their allegations. As regards the second defamation case against the AAP leader, the application said that the "defendant (Kejriwal) has categorically stated that the disparaging and malicious statements made by Ram Jethmalani were without his knowledge and/or instructions".
"In view of the categorical statement by the defendant, the plaintiff (Jaitley) does not wish to prosecute the suit," the application said.
Both the HC and the trial court have listed the matters for hearing on Tuesday.
Earlier, the court had acquitted Kejriwal in two defamation cases filed by Union minister Nitin Gadkari and advocate Amit Sibal, son of Congress functionary Kapil Sibal after the CM's apology and regret. Deputy CM Manish Sisodia also tendered his apology in Amit Sibal's case and was acquitted.
