NEW DELHI: BJP leader Vijender Gupta on Friday withdrew from the Delhi High Court his plea challenging a trial court order issuing a summon against him in connection with a defamation case filed by Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain.
After some arguments in the matter, Gupta's counsel sought permission from a single-judge bench of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait to withdraw his plea.
"Accordingly the present petition is dismissed as withdrawn," the bench said allowing his counsel to withdraw the plea in the matter.
Gupta had sought quashing of the defamation complaint filed by Imran Hussain and a trial court order dated July 12, 2019, issuing a summon against the petitioner for the alleged commission of an offence under Section 500 (defamation), Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860.
Three Delhi BJP leaders -- Vijendra Gupta, Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Kapil Mishra -- are facing a criminal defamation complaint filed by Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain for allegedly levelling false allegations against him in tree felling permission matter.
Vijendra Gupta and other leaders had allegedly levelled an unsubstantiated allegation that the Minister had received Rs 23 crore for compensatory plantation for felling of trees under some colony redevelopment project but did nothing.
Earlier, Hussain had sent legal notices to the three BJP leaders, following which he moved a case under Sections 499 and 500, both pertaining to defamation, of the IPC.