Satyendar Jain had filed the complaints on May 19. (File photo)
Recording his statement against Kapil Mishra in a court in the national capital, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain accused sacked minister Kapil Mishra and a BJP lawmaker, who had allegedly levelled graft charges against him, of defaming him.
Mr Jain, who appeared before Metropolitan Magistrate Shefali Barnala Tandon, recorded pre-summoning evidence in support of his separate complaints against Mr Mishra and BJP lawmaker Manjinder Singh Sirsa.
After the completion of Mr Jain's testimony, his advocate Gautam Dhamija submitted that he did not want to examine any other witness in support of the complaints. The court listed the criminal defamation complaints for August 23 for hearing arguments.
Mr Jain, while reiterating the contents of his complaints, claimed that Mr Mishra had allegedly made defamatory statements against him in the media. He deposed that Mr Mishra had also used his official Twitter handle to defame him and instead of going to any probe agency, he had levelled the allegations.
He also submitted that Mr Sirsa had alleged that the minister was circulating huge amounts of illegitimate money within the party.
The court had earlier taken cognisance of the complaints filed against Mr Mishra and Mr Sirsa. The complaints by Mr Jain were filed on May 19.
If convicted, the offence of defamation entails a maximum punishment of two years.
Mr Jain in his plea against Mr Mishra, who was earlier heading the water department, has submitted that on May 7 he had made a statement accusing him of giving a bribe of Rs two crore to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on May 5.
He has said his family members and people from his constituency had questioned him about the incident which had caused irreparable damage to his reputation.
Regarding Mr Sirsa, Mr Jain has said that on May 9, the lawmaker had made libellous statements by levelling corruption allegation against him.
He has said that making a statement on the basis of "hearsay" without any proof or evidence supporting it, is not only unbecoming of an MLA, but also an offence of defamation.