A Delhi court on Thursday issued summons to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in a defamation case filed against him by Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat over a credit society scam worth Rs 900 crore.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjeet Singh Jaspal of Rouse Avenue Courts directed Gehlot to appear before it on August 7.
Earlier, the Rouse Avenue Court had reserved its order on whether summons should be issued to the Rajasthan Chief Minister in the defamation case filed by Shekhawat.
In April this year, the Union Minister had moved the Rouse Avenue Court, claiming that the Rajasthan Chief Minister had defamed him and falsely accused him of being involved in the Sanjivani Credit Society scam worth Rs 900 crore.
As per the plea filed by the Union Minister, Gehlot made defamatory allegations in February, 2023 after meeting some people who lost their investment in Sanjeevani. These aggrieved people had alleged that Shekhawat was involved in the scam.
The petition said that while speaking to the media during a press conference in February this year, Gehlot named the Jal Shakti Minister and wondered how such people could become Ministers in the Narendra Modi government.
The Rajasthan Chief Minister further made defamatory allegations against Shekhawat after meeting some people who lost their investment in Sanjeevani. These aggrieved people had later alleged that the Union Minister was involved in the scam
The very next day, Shekhawat held a press conference, wherein he refuted all the allegations, noted the petition.
It said on March 24, 2023, the Court had ordered Delhi Police to investigate whether or not Gehlot actually said that Shekhawat was an accused in the scam.
A report was then filed by the Delhi Police. Shekhawat’s counsel argued that all the questions put up by the court have been answered in the affirmative in the report.
The Counsel appearing for Shekhawat also claimed that when the Rajasthan government probed the credit society scam case, his name did not appear anywhere.
The BJP leader sought prosecution of Gehlot under Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for criminal defamation. He further demanded appropriate financial compensation for the loss of his reputation.