Digvijay Singh (Express/Files)
A Delhi court on Tuesday acquitted Congress leader Digvijaya Singh in a criminal defamation case filed against him by Union minister and BJP leader Nitin Gadkari. The court order came after a joint application was filed by both the leaders stating that the matter had been “settled”.
Gadkari slapped a criminal defamation case against Singh in 2012 for accusing him of having business links with his party MP Ajay Sancheti. Singh had made statements that Sancheti was Gadkari’s business partner and had earned profit of around Rs 500 crore in coal block allocation.
A joint application was filed Tuesday in the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Samar Vishal, stating that Gadkari and Singh had met and discussed the issue. The application said: “In the private discussion they have agreed that sometimes in the heat of political campaign the statements are made which may not always be substantiated and therefore in larger public interest (we) have agreed to put an end to the present ongoing litigation. The decision so taken is voluntarily.”
ACMM Vishal, in his order, said: “In view of the submissions made in the application matter has been settled between both the parties… Statement of the counsel for the accused has been recorded. The charges are compounded and Digvijaya Singh stands acquitted.” In December 2012, the court granted bail to Singh in the case. After finding “prima facie” evidence against him, it directed SIngh to appear before it as an accused.