AAP leaders face stinging remarks from magistrate at defamation trial

NEW DELHI: A day after he landed in the Capital, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal faced stinging remarks by a city magistrate, who on Tuesday said the AAP leader and other members had “no respect for the law”.

Facing trial in a criminal defamation case, Kejriwal, deputy CM Manish Sisodia and AAP leader Yogendra Yadav had, on the last date, been given a final warning to make themselves available before the court.

When the trio did not show, citing the ongoing lawyers’ strike as an excuse, Metropolitan Magistrate Mayuri Singh refused to grant them exemption.

The exemption plea, however, was opposed by the complainant in the case — also an advocate — Surender Kumar Sharma who said that lawyers, not litigants were on strike.

“Nothing to reflect why the accused have not appeared. They have no respect for the law,” the court said, directing the AAP leaders to appear in the post-lunch session. At 2pm, Kejriwal and Sisodia arrived in court together while Yadav came separately. Such was the fervour at Kejriwal’s appearance that the cops had to latch the room’s door to prevent overcrowding in an already congested court.

On the last date, the matter had been fixed for framing of charges. But since it was the duty magistrate before whom the matter was put up on Tuesday, the framing of charges was fixed for May 2.

The court had earlier issued summons against the three AAP leaders to answer Sharma’s accusation that they had defamed him with common intent.

Kejriwal, Sisodia and Yadav had been granted bail after they appeared before the court on June 4 last year.