New Delhi: Delhi High Court today exempted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from personal appearance before the trial court in a criminal defamation complaint filed against him by a constable.
The court also asked the CM to explain the meaning of the word ‘thulla’ which he had allegedly used against policemen.
Justice Mukta Gupta granted the relief to Kejriwal till August 21, 2016 on his plea seeking stay on the summon issued to him by a trial court for his appearance on July 14, 2016, which prima facie found that he had committed the offence.
“Till the next date (August 21, 2016) the petitioner (Kejriwal) is exempted from personal appearance before the trial court,” the court said.
“However, you (Kejriwal) will have to satisfy this court what is the meaning of the word that was allegedly used by you. So be ready,” the court added.
The word used by Kejriwal was a Hindi word and the court wanted to know its meaning as it does not exist in the dictionary, the judge orally said, adding that “if you have used this word, you must be knowing the meaning. I have not seen this word at all.”
The court also issued notice to the complainant, Constable Ajay Kumar Taneja, and sought his response on the Delhi Chief Minister’s plea.
The court’s order and oral observation came during the hearing of the plea by Kejriwal who sought stay and setting aside of the trial court’s order summoning him as an accused in the case.
Senior advocate N Hariharan, appearing for the Chief Minister, submitted that the word ‘thulla’ was not used against all policemen but against those indulging in wrong practices.
Taneja, posted at Lajpat Nagar police station here, had claimed that being a member of Delhi Police he was defamed by the word used by Kejriwal.
In the complaint, filed on July 23, 2015, Taneja had claimed that Kejriwal had used the “derogatory” term for policemen on a news channel while talking about AAP government’s “constraints” in ensuring effective functioning of the Anti-Corruption Branch.
If a word like ‘thulla’ is used by an eminent personality like Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to refer to personnel of Delhi Police, then the general public too would have no respect or regard for police personnel who dedicate their entire lives to maintain law and order in Delhi,” the plea had said.
The constable had earlier claimed to have called the office and residence of Kejriwal and also on the helpline numbers to talk to him, but there was no “positive response”.
“That due to the acute agony and being mentally hurt by the attitude of Kejriwal towards Delhi Police, the complainant was unable to concentrate on his job as he was very much disturbed,” his plea had said.
With PTI Inputs
