New Delhi: A city court has issued notice to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in a criminal defamation case filed by Lipika Mitra, the wife of Aam Aadmi Party leader Somnath Bharti, alleging she made defamatory, false, and malicious statements with the sole intention to tarnish the reputation of her husband and weaken his chances of winning in the Lok Sabha elections 2024.
Complainant Mitra has accused the Union Finance Minister of making and publishing defamatory, derogatory and libelous remarks in print and electronic media against her and her husband during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Mitra has alleged that Sitharaman’s statement made during the Lok Sabha 2024 elections was aimed at tarnishing the reputation of her husband Bharti and damage his social standing and goodwill in the society and weaken his chances of winning the election from the New Delhi Lok Sabha parliamentary seat.
What did the court say in its order?
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Paras Dalal issued notice to Sitharaman returnable for June 12 after taking note of the fresh case.
“Fresh case for making and publishing defamatory, derogatory and libelous remarks in print and electronic media against the complainant received by way of assignment. It be checked and registered,” the court noted and issued notice, saying the proposed accused is to be given opportunity of being heard.
The order of the court came after hearing submissions made on point of cognisance/issuance of notice to Sitharaman.
“Matter is at the stage of cognizance and in compliance of first proviso to section 223 BNSS (Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita), the proposed accused is to be given opportunity of being heard. Accordingly, on filing of PF within 03 days from today, let notice be issued to proposed accused returnable for 12.06.2025 at 12:30 pm,” the court said in its order.
Sitharaman deliberately spoke about my matrimonial discord with my husband but withheld information of our reunion: Mitra
Mitra in her plea has alleged that Sitharaman deliberately spoke about her matrimonial discord with her husband Bharti but withheld the information of their reunion and living together happily solely with an intent to hurt her and her husband for political gains to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate and political loss to her husband during the 2024 general elections.
“Solely with an intent to hurt the complainant and her husband solely for political gains to BJP’s candidate and political loss to the complainant’s husband during 2024 Lok Sabha Election, the accused spoke about the matrimonial discord of the complainant and her husband but withheld the information of their reunion and living together happily,” the complaint said.
Bharti contested from the New Delhi parliamentary seat as an India alliance candidate in the Lok Sabha elections 2024 and he was defeated by BJP’s Bansuri Swaraj.
