IPS officer Bharti Arora sends defamation notices to Congress MLA, three dailies

ROHTAK: In yet another controversy related to the prestigious Moti Lal Nehru Sports School, IPS officer Bharti Arora, the principal-cum-director of the school, on Wednesday sent defamation notices to Rai Congress member of legislative assembly Jai Teerath Dahiya for levelling false and malicious accusations at her.

The defamation notice was also sent to eight newspersons of three Hindi dailies for publishing Dahiya’s accusations at the IPS officer in their newspapers.

It cites certain newspaper reports in which the member of legislative assembly (MLA) is accusing Arora of corruption as “defamatory and false.”

The notice demanded from the Congress member of legislative assembly (MLA) to retract his “defamatory statements” against the officer in same mode (newspaper reports) and issue an unconditional apology to her within seven days, failing which, she would initiate a criminal proceeding claiming damages worth ₹4 crore jointly from the nine recipients.

“Disparaging, false and frivolous allegations are being made by Noticee no 1 (Dahiya) publically and the same are being reported by Noticees No. 2 to 9 (mediapersons) to damage the credibility and esteem of my client and to lower her reputation in the eye of the public,” the notice reads.

When asked, Dahiya said it was his right to raise voice if any irregularities were happening in his constituency.

“I will not reply to her notice, but as an MLA, I will move privilege motion against her in Vidhan Sabha. It is clear that this notice has been filed on the behest of sports minister Anil Vij,” he said.

The controversy regarding the school had erupted when a special audit team had pointed financial irregularities, waste expenditure and embezzlement in the school.