A single judge bench of the Delhi High Court on 17th December, 2020 dismissed a petition filed by BJP leader Manoj Tiwari challenging the summons issued to him in a criminal defamation case by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia. Challenge by BJP's Vijender Gupa was also dismissed by the court in an order pronounced by Justice Anu Malhotra.
Challenging the summons issued by a Rouse Avenue court to Tiwari and other co-accused persons in November last year, Sr. Sisodia submitted that this was not the stage to test the admissibility of evidence.
Vikas Pahwa appearing for Sisodia, on the other hand, had pressed that the Section 65B certificate produced in the matter did not suffer from any anomaly and was very well valid.
He also argued that the accused persons had not denied at any stage that the press conference had in fact taken place, and if there indeed was any corruption, the accused persons should have filed a criminal complaint.
Senior Advocate Pinky Anand appeared for Manoj Tiwari. Senior Advocate Vikas Pahwa appeared for Sisodia.
Senior Advocate Sonia Mathur appeared for VIjender Gupta.
