NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed an interim application by Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot seeking to injunct BJP leader Vijender Gupta, who made statements on alleged irregularities in procurement of 1,000 low floor buses by the Delhi Transport Corporation, from making any defamatory tweets during pendency of the defamation suit.
Justice Asha Menon passed an interim order and listed the suit for July 12 for framing of issues. The interim application was filed by Gahlot in his pending civil defamation suit in which he sought Rs 5 crore from Gupta for allegedly making scandalous statements relating to irregularities in the procurement of low floor buses.
He sought an interim order on the removal of allegedly defamatory statements and posts shared by Gupta on social media against Gahlot. On August 28, 2021, a division bench refused to interfere with the single judge’s order declining to pass an ex-parte interim order on the removal of allegedly defamatory statements and posts shared by Gupta on social media against Gahlot.
The counsel for Gupta then gave an oral assurance to the bench that no tweet or press statement would be issued in relation to the issue of procurement of DTC buses.
On August 27, 2021, the single judge issued summons to Gupta in Gahlot’s defamation suit and said that no ex-parte injunction was called for at this stage. It had granted 30 days to the BJP leader to respond to the suit as well as the application for an interim order.