Ram Jethmalani’s remarks against Jaitley scandalous, says high court

The Delhi high court on Thursday termed as “scandalous” certain remarks made by senior advocate Ram Jethmalani, lawyer for chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, against finance minister Arun Jaitley during the hearing on a civil defamation suit filed by the senior BJP leader against Kejriwal and other AAP leaders.

“If such allegations have been made on instructions of Defendant 1 (Kejriwal), then no point in continuing with cross-examination of plaintiff (Jaitley). Let Defendant 1 make good his allegations. Let him step into the box,” said justice Manmohan, adding that such a manner of cross-examination cannot be allowed.

It directed Jaitley’s lawyers to file an application with regard to the adverse remarks made by Jethmalani. “What is to be done when such scandalous remarks are made? It’s unpleasant,” said Justice Manmohan said.

Jethmalani had made the remarks on Wednesday when Jaitley was being cross-examined in the ₹10 crore civil defamation case filed by him against Kejriwal and five other AAP leaders, who had accused him of financial irregularities in the DDCA during his tenure as it president.

Advocates Rajiv Nayar and Sandeep Sethi, representing Jaitley, said they want a clarification from Kejriwal on if the remarks were made on his instructions or by Jethmalani on his own.

Nayar said if Kejriwal had instructed the senior lawyer to make the adverse remark, then they would seek additional aggravated damages of ₹10 crore from him.

If, on the other hand, Jethmalani had on his own made the remark, then it would be a violation of the bar council.