A Delhi court is set to rule on February 3 whether to summon Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in a criminal defamation case filed by BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The decision by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Paras Dalal comes amid allegations of defamatory comments made by Tharoor on national television.
The case centers on accusations by Chandrasekhar that Tharoor, during a televised interview, falsely claimed Chandrasekhar was bribing voters in the Thiruvananthapuram constituency. According to the BJP leader, Tharoor’s comments were aimed at tarnishing his reputation and influencing the outcome of the last general elections.
“Mr. Tharoor made these allegations knowing fully well that the statements were false,” stated the complaint, adding that the broadcasted interviews on various news channels and social media platforms, allegedly orchestrated by Tharoor, led to significant damage to Chandrasekhar’s reputation and ultimately contributed to his loss in the Lok Sabha Elections of 2024.
The matter was briefly adjourned by Magistrate Dalal on Friday as the court awaited the statement of a key witness, which is yet to be received from a Thiruvananthapuram court. “Matter be fixed for orders on summoning/issue of process on February 3,” the judge decreed.
