NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday granted time till August 12, to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to settle his dispute with the complainant in the criminal defamation case for allegedly retweeting a defamatory video circulated by YouTuber Dhruv Rathee in May 2018.
A two-judge bench of the top court, led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta, said the interim stay on no coercive action (against Kejriwal) already granted will stand extended till August 12, when the matter will come up next again for hearing before it.
During the course of the hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, told the apex court that after the last hearing, the parties could not find time to get into touch to discuss the possible settlement in the case.
Noting this on record, the court granted the parties time to explore for a possible settlement. Raghav Awasthi, the lawyer appearing for the complainant, Vikas Sankrityayan, told the apex court that both parties would do the needful. “They (Kejriwal’s lawyers) will do the needful; today itself, they will get in touch.” Awasthi said.