Kejriwal fined `10K in defamation case

HC warns against ‘scandalous’ questions to Jaitley

New Delhi, July 26: The Delhi high court on Wednesday warned Arvind Kejriwal against asking any “offensive and scandalous” questions to Arun Jaitley in the defamation cases by the Union finance minister and imposed `10,000 as costs on him for not filing a reply in one of them.

The objectionable remarks were made during the cross-examination of Mr Jaitley by senior advocate Ram Jethmalani, who had represented Mr Kejriwal.

Justice Manmohan held that such remarks were indecent, scandalous and abusive and sought an undertaking from senior counsel Anoop George Chaudhari, appearing for the chief minister, that no objectionable and offensive questions would be put to Jaitley during the cross-examination on August 28.

After objectionable remarks were made by Jethmalani, who had claimed that he had instruction from Kejriwal, another defamation suit was filed by Jaitley which was listed before Joint Registrar Pankaj Gupta.

The joint registrar took a strong view of Kejriwal not filing his reply to the second lawsuit and imposed `10,000 as costs

on him and posted the matter to September four.

The case before the joint registrar had come after the hearing before Justice Manmohan, who said, “I have never seen such scandalous words being used in any suit and it is uncalled for.

“This is not the way to conduct the cross-examination, they have to control themselves,” the judge said.

“You have used some words... Do these fall under free speech? Are you aware that these are unparliamentary words?” the judge said, asking Mr Kejriwal’s counsel Mr Chaudhari to maintain decorum.”

Justice Manmohan said the statement and the assurance given by the senior counsel for Kejriwal “is accepted by this court and the chief minister is held bound by the same”.

Mr Chaudhari submitted that Mr Kejriwal has already filed his response that he had never instructed Mr Jethmalani to use any scandalous or abusive word against the Union minister.