New Delhi, April 1 A Delhi court on Wednesday dismissed the criminal defamation complaint filed by the wife of former AAP MLA Somnath Bharti against Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
In an order, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Paras Dalal said, "I do not see any reason to proceed further, and I am denying cognizance in this case. The complaint is dismissed."
The detailed order is awaited.
The court was hearing the criminal defamation complaint filed by Bharti's wife, Lipika Mitra, against Sitharaman.
The complaint alleged that Sitharaman made "defamatory, false, and malicious statements" in a press conference on May 17, 2024, with the sole intention of tarnishing Bharti's reputation and weakening his chances of winning in the general elections.
According to the complaint, the utterances were made "solely with the intent to harm the complainant and her husband" for political gain to the BJP's candidate and to cause a political loss to the complainant's husband during the 2024 Lok Sabha election.