NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court refused to stay the criminal proceedings initiated by a trial court against BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa in a criminal defamation case filed by a Sikh leader. The BJP leader was approaching the HC as there was no relief from the Sessions Court followed by a magisterial court order that summoned him along with Harmeet Singh Kalka and Jagdeep Singh Kahlon for making defamatory statements against former Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjit Singh GK.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma upheld the sessions court order passed on November 29 last year.“Thus, upon a prima facie examination of the impugned order and without going much into the merits of the case, lest it affects the case of the petitioner or respondent no. 2 at a later stage before this Court or Trial Court, this Court finds that the learned ASJ has examined in detail, the issue of registration of FIR in relation to letter dated 04.04.2016 and simultaneous proceedings in the present complaint case for commission of offence of defamation, and at this stage, this Court does not find any reasons to stay the proceedings in the present complaint case,” Justice Sharma said.
Sessions Court had said that there is no perversity, illegality, irregularity or impropriety in the Magisterial court order passed on June 30 which had summoned Sirsa and others in the defamation case.