The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed as withdrawn a petition filed by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia against the defamation suit filed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding distribution of PPE kits by Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The order was passed by the Bench of Justice S.K. Kaul and Justice Abhay S. Oka, after Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Sisodia, contended that he would raise the matter before a lower court.
The Apex Court came down heavily on Singhvi, when he said that public discourse was being curtailed by browbeating. The Bench observed that since the petitioner had reduced the public debate to this level, he must face the consequences.
The Counsel then submitted that Sisodia never said that Sarma’s wife received the money, alleging that Rinki Sarma made a ‘virtue’ out of necessity by calling it a ‘donation’.
The Supreme Court observed that instead of realising what the country was going through, Sisodia was busy making accusations.
When the Apex Court observed that Sisodia should have offered unconditional apology, Singhvi contended that his client was entitled to say what he said.
The top court of the country then told the Counsel that in that case, he should be ready to face the consequences.
Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma was represented by Senior Advocate Ranjit Kumar.
Sisodia had moved the Gauhati High Court, seeking quashing of proceedings in a case registered under Sections 499 and 500 IPC, which was pending before the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kamrup (M) at Guwahati.
In June this year, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had filed a criminal defamation case against Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia for alleging that Sarma gave a contract for PPE kits to a firm owned by his wife and at inflated prices.
The suit was filed in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Kamrup, Guwahati under Sections 499, 500 and 502 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Senior Advocate Devajit Saikia represented Sarma in the case.
During a press conference in Delhi on June 4, Manish Sisodia had alleged there were irregularities in issuing Covid-19 Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits for doctors, health staff and field workers during the pandemic in 2020.
Sisodia claimed that Sarma, who was the then Assam Health Minister awarded the PPE kits contract to a company, which was associated with his wife, at a value higher than the market value.
Sarma’s wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma has already filed a Rs 100 crore defamation suit against Sisodia for the same allegations.
Reports said that the Assam government had placed emergency medical supply orders without following proper procedure. Sarma and his wife said the charges levelled by Sisodia against them were not true.
Riniki Sarma has also declared that she hasn’t benefited from any such contract. The Assam Chief Minister had also tweeted that his wife had donated around 1,500 PPE kits and did not take a single penny for it.