If you reduce public debate, you have to face consequences: SC tells Sisodia

If you reduce public debate to this level you have to face the consequences the Supreme Court said on Monday while hearing a petition by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia challenging the Gauhati High Court order dismissing his plea for quashing a criminal defamation case filed against him by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa SarmaThe high court had dismissed Sisodias petition seeking quashing of the defamation case filed by Sarma over allegations of corruption levelled against him by the Delhi deputy CMAfter the apex court showed its disinclination to entertain Sisodias plea against the November 4 order of the high court the Aam Aadmi Party AAP leader withdrew itSarma had filed a criminal defamation case against Sisodia for making baseless corruption allegations against him in connection with the supply of PPE kits at higher than market rates to the National Health Mission NHM authorities during the first wave of the Covid19 pandemicThe AAP leader had claimed that Sarma as the state health minister in 2020 had given the supply orders to the firm of his wife Sarma has denied these allegationsAlso Read Manish Sisodia will have to face the music in excise policy scam case BJPThe matter came up for hearing on Monday before a bench comprising Justices S K Kaul and A S OkaSenior advocate A M Singhvi appearing for Sisodia said the AAP leader had nowhere said any money was takenIf you reduce public debate to this level you have to face the consequences the bench observed adding the petitioner should have unconditionally apologised earlierSinghvi said one cannot use the authority to browbeat others and that the petitioner had never said any money was takenYou have to face the consequences the top court asserted adding the allegations were made during the pandemicThe apex court observed that instead of realising what the country was going through during the pandemic the petitioner was making allegationsSinghvi later withdrew the petitionAfter the hearing advocate Nalin Kohli who was representing the Assam government said Essentially while issuing summons a court has to see whether a prima facie case exists with regard to false imputations which are per se defamatoryIn its order the high court had said Sisodia has not been able to make out any case for quashing of the proceedings in the matter which is pending for disposal before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Kamrup at GuwahatiThe high court had noted Sarma filed the complaint alleging that on June 4 this year Sisodia addressed a press conference in New Delhi where he made a defamatory statement against the Assam chief minister accusing him of indulging in corruptionIt took note of Sarmas complaint about Sisodia accusing him of corruption in giving government contract to his wifes company for purchasing PPE kitsIt was alleged that while such PPE kits were purchased from others for Rs 600 apiece the same was bought from the company owned by Sarmas wife at the rate of Rs 990 per kitThe high court had noted the chief judicial magistrate had in August this year found sufficient ground to proceed against Sisodia and issued summons to himRiniki Bhuyan Sarma the wife of the Assam chief minister had on June 21 filed a Rs 100crore defamation case against the Delhi Deputy CM over the same allegationThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever