New Delhi [India], October 24 : BJP Leader Praveen Shankar Kapoor has filed a reply to the appeal filed by Delhi Chief Minister Atishi Marlena. Kapoor stated that the appeal is devoid of merit and liable to be dismissed.
Delhi CM Atishi has moved an appeal against the summons issued to her in a defamation case filed by Kapoor.
Special judge Vishal Gogne of Rouse Avenue on Wednesday was informed that the reply will be filed in the day. Thereafter the matter was listed for arguments on November 6.
Meanwhile, the sessions court has also called for the trial court record two days prior to the hearing.
In the reply, it's stated that the order of summoning was passed after considering the facts, circumstances and material placed on record.
It is also stated by respondent that he represents BJP as media head and spokesperson of Delhi Unit in the general public. Therefore, any defamatory post, article, press conference circulated on social media is equally defamatory for him due to his long association with the party.
The reply has been filed by advocate Shoumendu Mukherjee counsel for Praveen Shankar Kapoor. BJP leader had filed a Defamation complaint against Atishi Marlena.
Senior advocate Ramesh Gupta along with Advocate Shailendra Singh and advocate Mudit Jain had appeared for Atishi Marlena.
Senior advocate Ajay Burman along with Shoumendu Mukherjee had appeared for Praveen Shankar Kapoor.
BJP Leader Praveen Shankar Kapoor filed a defamation complaint. The Magistrate at Rouse Avenue court had issued the summons to Atishi Marlena on May 28 this year.
The Rouse Avenue court on July 23 granted bail to Delhi CM Atishi after She appeared physically and furnished the bail bond.
Before filing the complaint, Delhi BJP leader sent a legal notice to AAP leader Atishi over her claims that the BJP approached her through a "very close" person to join the party.
Notice sent by Delhi BJP leader Praveen Shankar Kapoor stated that on April 2, 2024, Atishi held a press conference and claimed that she was approached by BJP to join the party.
Notice sent through Advocate Satya Ranjan Swain on behalf of Praveen Shankar Kapoor stated that Atishi deliberately and with malicious intent made statements which are not only false, scandalous, concocted and illusionary, but defamatory to harm the reputation of BJP but also of its members.
In the entire speech, she neither revealed specific information about the source of information nor did she give any details. Devoid of any specificities your statement is an intentional endeavor to reflect your own imagination and apprehension, stated the legal notice.
The notice requested Atishi to immediately withdraw the said speech and telecast her apology prominently on television and social media.
AAP leader and Delhi Minister Atishi had alleged that she was approached by the Bharatiya Janata Party to join them or else she'd be arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the coming days.
While addressing a press conference in Delhi, the AAP leader said, "The BJP, through one of my close aides, approached me to join their party to save my political career, and if I do not join the BJP, then in the coming month, I will be arrested by the ED." The AAP leader accused the BJP-led centre of trying to threaten the party by using probe agencies.
"I want to tell the BJP that we will not be scared of you. We are the soldiers of Arvind Kejriwal. We are aides of Bhagat Singh. We will continue to save the Constitution and will work to give the people a better life under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal," she said.
She further alleged that in the coming two months before the general elections, a few more leaders, including Raghav Chadha and Saurabh Bharadwaj, will be arrested by the central probe agency.