Madhya Pradesh High Court Reserves Order in Defamation Case Involving Union Minister

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has reserved its order on a petition by Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and others challenging a special court's order in a defamation case filed by Congress Rajya Sabha member Vivek Tankha. Both sides presented their arguments, and the court will issue its decision soon.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Saturday reserved its order on a petition by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and others challenging a special court's ruling in a criminal defamation case. The case was filed by Congress Rajya Sabha member Vivek Tankha.

Chouhan and his co-petitioners are contesting the March 22 and April 2 orders that required their personal appearance in court. Justice Sanjay Dwivedi, presiding over a single-judge bench, heard arguments from both parties before reserving the order.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Tankha, stated that the defamation case involves false allegations damaging Tankha's professional reputation. Tankha claims BJP figures tarnished his image by linking him to a Supreme Court case on the OBC quota in state panchayat elections, a charge he denies. Tankha has also filed a Rs 10 crore civil defamation suit.

(With inputs from agencies.)