New Delhi, Apr 18: Amid reports about a CD involving him, Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi has kept away from party briefings this week.
“At this moment, we can only say this much that he was not available for briefing on Monday”, Congress sources said when asked about reports that he was taken off the roster of media briefings in the wake of controversy surrounding him.
Singhvi, who briefs the media formally every week on Monday, said he would request that the speculation over him should stop.
“On Monday morning itself, I had informed the party office that I was indisposed,” he said.
The Delhi High Court has recently restrained a media house from publishing, telecasting and broadcasting the contents of a CD pertaining to Singhvi, who is also a leading advocate.
Singhvi has alleged that the CD was “forged, concocted, morphed and fabricated”. Any move to telecast the alleged CD would infringe the right to reputation of Singhvi, the plea to the High Court had said.
The Delhi High Court restrained the media house from publishing, telecasting and broadcasting the contents of a CD allegedly pertaining to Singhvi.
“Till the next hearing, the defendants (the media house), their agents and all others acting for and/or on their behalf are restrained from publishing, broadcasting and disseminating or distributing in any form or any manner the content of any alleged CD or any other material as described in the plaint,” Justice Reva Khetrapal said in an order on a civil suit filed by Singhvi.
Singhvi had sought a restraint on the media group from making public the contents of the alleged CD.
The court has also sought response by May 21 from Aaj Tak, Headlines Today and India Today and Singhvi's former driver, alleged mastermind behind the scandal.
“Irreparable injury is likely to be caused to the reputation and goodwill of Singhvi in case the defendants are not restrained. Accordingly, issue notice to defendants (one to four) which is returnable by May 21,” it said.
Singhvi alleged that the CD was ‘forged, concocted, morphed and fabricated'. Any move to telecast the alleged CD would infringe the right to reputation of Singhvi, the plea said.
The High Court restrained one Mukesh Kumar Lal and others from “publishing, broadcasting, disseminating or distributing in any form or manner the contents of any alleged CD or any other material as described in the plaint in relation to the plaintiff No. 2 (Singhvi).”
In the order of April 13, Justice Reva Khetrapal issued summons to the defendants for May 21.
Singhvi and another lawyer, Abhimanyu Bhandari, had moved the court last week.
The court said that having heard the plaintiffs' counsel, it was of the view that “...plaintiffs have made out a prima facie case for grant of an ex-parte ad interim injunction in their favour. The balance of convenience is also tilted in favour of the plaintiffs and against the defendants.”
The court observed that “irreparable injury is likely to be caused to the reputation and goodwill of the plaintiff No 2 (Singhvi) if the defendants are not restrained from disseminating the information allegedly in their possession in the form of a CD.”
After receiving the order, advocate Sangeeta Sharma, advocate for Bhandari and Singhvi, issued a statement that the CD has “fabricated material.”...
