New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday (June 26) raised before a city court objection on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Somnath Bharti representing his wife in a defamation case, saying he legally cannot represent his wife due to conflict of interest.
Lipika Mitra, Bharti’s wife, has filed a criminal defamation complaint against Sitharaman accusing her of defamation. She has alleged that she made defamatory, false, and malicious statements with the sole intention to tarnish her husband’s reputation and weaken his chances of winning in the Lok Sabha elections 2024.
The counsel representing Sitharaman argued before the court on Thursday that Bharti representing his wife in the defamation case was a conflict of interest as Mitra was his wife and he couldn’t appear in his own case.
Sitharaman’s counsel further said that Bharti should withdraw his vakalatnama (a document authorising a lawyer to represent) failing which a reference ought to be made to the Bar Council of India (BCI) for initiation of disciplinary proceedings against him, news agency PTI reported.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Paras Dalal posted the matter for hearing on July 16 after Bharti sought time to argue on the application.
The court earlier on May 19 issued notice to Sitharaman on complainant Mitra’s complaint 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 said after hearing submissions made on point of cognisance/issuance of notice to Sitharaman and issued notice, saying “the proposed accused is to be given opportunity of being heard.”
Mitra in her plea has alleged that Sitharaman deliberately spoke about her matrimonial discord with her husband but withheld the information on their reunion and them living together happily solely with an intent to hurt her and her husband Bharti 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 the 2024 general elections from the New Delhi Lok Sabha seat as an India alliance candidate and he was defeated by BJP’s Bansuri Swaraj.
