HC rejects Delhi CM’s plea for speedy trial

New Delhi, Aug. 28: In a blow to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi high court on Monday rejected his plea questioning the decision of a judge to expedite hearing of a defamation suit filed against him by Union finance minister Arun Jaitley.

A bench of acting chief justice G. Mittal and justice C. Hari Shankar said the appeals filed by Kejriwal and AAP leader Ashutosh against the July 26 decision of a single judge was “misconceived” and “devoid of merit”. It said speedy trial was the “need of the hour” and “highly recommended in all cases”. “Such appeals do disservice to justice, and we request counsel to be more circumspect in raising them,” it said.

Counsel A.G. Chaudhari and advocate A. Srivastava, representing the chief minister, argued a judge can’t interfere while proceedings related to recording of evidence was going in the court of joint registrar.

Meanwhile, Mr Jaitley rubbished in Delhi high court Mr Kejriwal’s claim that he has spared Congress leaders and only targeted him in a defamation suit, even though though similar allegations relating to the irregularities in the DDCA were made by both parties.

Mr Jaitley said a person accused of malicious falsehood and defamation cannot claim any dilution in his guilt on the ground that other offenders have been spared.

His response came after Mr Kejriwal’s counsels put to him that though Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge and Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken had made allegations of irregularities against him at a press conference in December 2015, the union minister chose to sue only the Aam Aadmi Party chief.