A Delhi court on Wednesday summoned Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Satyendar Jain, Atishi, Raghav Chadha, Sourabh Bharadwaj and Durgesh Pathak in a defamation case.
The complaint was filed by Bharatiya Janta Party leader Chhail Bihari Goswami, chairperson of the Standing Committee of North Delhi Municipal Corporation.
It was averred in the complaint that as per the constitutional mandate and existing law, the government of NCT was supposed to distribute the revenue collected from various sources in between Govt of NCT and all the three Municipal Corporations, whereas the Aam Aadmi Party with dishonest intention of gaining political mileage in the upcoming Municipal Corporation Elections is not releasing the consolidated due funds of Rs. 13,000 crores approximately to the three Corporations.
Failing to get the funds, many developmental work of the public importance could not be undertaken by Corporations and the Municipal Councilors who were elected on the symbol of BJP.
It is further alleged that with the common intention to win the upcoming Municipal Elections, the accused are misleading the general public and creating negative image of councilors of BJP including the complainant.
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In order to divert the issue and to cover up the non release of funds , the accused have hatched the criminal conspiracy and have been levelling false allegations on the three Corporations led by BJP and BJP leaders and Councilors.
The complaint also mentioned that Durgesh Pathak in the furtherance of the criminal conspiracy, also organised a Press Conference in which he made false allegation that were defamatory in nature by claiming that there was a corruption of Rs. 1400 Crores in the North MCD by the BJP councilors who distributed the money equally.
Further Satyender Jain made similar defamatory statement which was published in newspaper on 12.12.2020 in the Press Conference which was also shared on the Facebook page of the Aam Aadmi Party.
It is also averred that Aatishi Marlena held a press conference on December 12, 2020, which was also live streamed on the Facebook page of Aam Aadmi Party, where she levelled false allegations against BJP leaders regarding a scam of Rs 2500 crore.
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Raghav Chadha and Saurabh Bhardwaj had also made similar defamatory statement which were published on 14.12.2020 and shared on the Facebook page of the Aam Aadmi Party.
The complainant alleged that the incorrect, misleading and uncorroborated statement of the accused persons is with the intent to tarnish and harm the reputation, credentials and goodwill of the complainant and other BJP leaders.
It is averred that accused persons has a dishonest intention to lower the moral and intellectual character of the complainant in the eyes of general public
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ravindra Kumar Pandey after hearing the arguments is of the considered view that prima facie accused persons namely Satyender Jain, Aatishi Marlena, Raghav Chadha, Durgesh Pathak and Sourabh Bhardwaj have committed the offence punishable U/s 499/500 IPC read with Section 34 IPC. Hence, these accused persons be summoned to appear on March 14, 2022.