A court in Delhi has summoned Kapil Mishra, the minister sacked from Arvind Kejriwal government, for allegedly defaming Delhi Health Minister Satyender Jain by levelling graft charges against him.
Metropolitan Magistrate Shefali Barnala Tandon directed Mishra to appear on January 20, 2018, reported news agency PTI. Jain had filed a criminal complaint alleging that Mishra made defamatory statements against him in the media.
Mishra held water and tourism portfolios in Delhi government before being sacked by Arvind Kejriwal for ‘non-performance.’
Mishra had then made stunning allegations against Kejriwal and Jain accusing the latter of paying Rs 2 crore in cash to the Delhi chief minister at his residence. However, the ACB chief MK Meena had later clarified that Mishra did not discuss the Rs 2 crore claim when the latter went to meet him.
If convicted, the offence of defamation entails a maximum punishment of two years.
Jain in his plea against Mishra, who was earlier heading the water department in the city government, submitted that on May 7 he had made a statement accusing him of giving a bribe to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on May 5.
He had also accused Sirsa of making libellous statements by levelling corruption allegation against him.
He had said that these had caused irreparable damage to his reputation.
Mishra, who is MLA from Karawal Nagar constituency, was suspended from the Aam Aadmi Party after he raised corruption allegations against Kejriwal and Jain.