A Delhi court Tuesday issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and national president of Swaraj India Yogendra Yadav, after all the three failed to appear before the court in a 2013 defamation case filed by advocate Surendra Kumar Sharma.

Following this, the counsel for Kejriwal and Sisodia, advocate Rishikesh Kumar, moved an application before the court seeking a stay on the NBW against the two till the next date of hearing. Kumar informed the court that during the last hearing, the court had only directed Yadav to appear in person.

In a handwritten application, Kumar said there was a certain confusion regarding the appearance. The matter is listed for Wednesday before additional chief metropolitan magistrate Samar Vishal.

Aam Aadmi Party’s advocate Mohd Irshad said the Delhi district court, on the last date of hearing, had given relief to Kejriwal and Sisodia against the appearance and had only asked Yadav to be present. However, since Yadav was not present before the court, the court issued warrants against all three.

Yadav’s counsel advocate PS Sharda said Yadav is not in town and that it was a slip on part of the counsel’s office. “We will appear before the court and pray for cancellation of NBW. The slip is inadvertent on my part,” Sharda said.

According to the defamation complaint, Sharma was initially promised a ticket during the 2013 assembly elections but was later denied one.

Sharma said the three men made defamatory, unlawful and derogatory comments, which were carried by leading newspapers.

First Published: Apr 24, 2019 06:48 IST