Court Dismisses Defamation Suit Between BJP Figures Amid Internal Strife

The Rouse Avenue court dismissed a defamation complaint by BJP MP Raju Bista against MLA Bishnu Prasad Sharma. Bista accused Sharma of falsely alleging his involvement in a scam. Despite intra-party tensions, the court declined to proceed with the case.

The Rouse Avenue court decided against pursuing a defamation complaint filed by BJP MP Raju Bista against party colleague MLA Bishnu Prasad Sharma. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Neha Mittal dismissed the case.

Bista had accused Sharma, an MLA from Kurseong, of making false statements about his involvement in the Jal Jeevan Mission scam. These allegations stem from a press conference held on 24 April 2024 in Darjeeling.

Bista's complaint suggested that the allegations were made before the elections to damage his reputation. Adding intrigue to the case is the fact that Sharma is from the same political party. On March 17, the court reserved its decision before ultimately dismissing the complaint.

(With inputs from agencies.)