Congress leader Jairam Ramesh believes in shoot and scoot model following which he makes false and malicious allegations and then runs away, said Vivek Doval, son of National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval here on Friday.

The statement comes after the Congress leader failed to appear before the Rouse Avenue Court in connection with the defamation case filed against him.

"I do feel sympathetic if the gentleman has some personal circumstances because of which he was not able to appear, but the fact of the matter is he has been on national media on the 21st, 22nd, 23rd April through press conferences," Doval added.

The Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday granted bail to Caravan Editor-In-Chief Paresh Nath and reporter Kaushal Shroff in connection with a defamation suit filed by Vivek Doval.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Samar Vishal while granting bail to the Caravan journalists directed them to furnish a personal bail bond of Rs. 20,000 each and Rs. 1 lakh each surety amount.

ACMM Vishal posted the matter for further consideration on May 9.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, the third accused in the case, did not appear before the court today.

Ramesh's counsel moved an exemption plea before the bench and while informing the judge that there is some rituals ceremony taking place at his client's residence after his wife passed away a few months ago.

Accepting Ramesh's plea, the court granted him exemption and asked him to appear before it on the next date of hearing.

Last month, the court issued summons as an 'accused' against Ramesh, Nath and Shroff in the defamation case filed by Vivek. All the accused have to appear before the court on April 25.

On January 21, Vivek had filed a criminal defamation case against Ramesh and the two journalists, contending that they had caused "irreparable damage" to his reputation "through calculated insinuations and innuendos."

Vivek alleged that Ramesh and the two scribes have committed the offence of defamation punishable under Section 500 of IPC (which provides for simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both) read with Section 120-B IPC (criminal conspiracy).

Vivek, his business partner Amit Sharma and friend Nikhil Kapoor have already recorded their statements in connection to the matter.

Vivek had filed the complaint against the magazine for the alleged defamatory article and Ramesh for using the content to defame him on wrong facts. The Caravan article claimed that Vivek was running a hedge fund whose promoters are of dubious antecedents.

In his plea, Vivek had alleged that the accused had deliberately maligned and defamed him just to settle scores with his father.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)