Shimla, August 25
The five-year-old defamation case against Mr Shanta Kumar, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, concluded on a happy note today when he and the complainant, Mr Virbhadra Singh, Congress leader and former Chief Minister, arrived at a compromise in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr A.S. Jaswal.
Mr Shanta Kumar and Mr Virbhadra Singh were present in the court. The compromise was welcomed with cheers by supporters of both leaders in the jam-packed court when the CJM announced it after coming out of his chamber.
They stated that the misunderstandings between them had been removed and cordial relations restored in the interests of the state.
The turning point came when the CJM, during the course of recording the evidence of Mr Virbhadra Singh, invited them to his chamber to make an endeavour for the compromise. The meeting lasted for about 20 minutes and the long-drawn dispute was settled.
Mr Virbhadra Singh and Mr Shanta Kumar signed a compromise statement in the presence of the CJM and the criminal case was dismissed as withdrawn. Both shook hands after this.
The statement of Mr Virbhadra Singh, also signed by Mr Shanta Kumar, said the compromise had been effected on the persuasion of the court.
In his statement before the court, Mr Virbhadra Singh said he did not want to pursue with his complaint and it be withdrawn.
The defamation case was filed by Mr Virbhadra Singh in 1996 when he was the Chief Minister. Mr Shanta Kumar, during the Lok Sabha elections had allegedly said that some influential persons had taken commission while raising loans from private parties for the state government. He
had reportedly sought a CBI inquiry into these transactions.
The Transport Minister, Mr K.K. Kapoor, the IPH Minister, Mr Ramesh Dhwala, BJP MLAs Dulo Ram and Vipin Parmar, the vice-chairman of HRTC, Mr Khushi Ram Balnatah, a former Speaker, Mr R.R. Shastri, and a former MLA, Mr M.N. Sofat, were among those who accompanied Mr Shanta Kumar to the court today.
Mr Virbhadra Singh was accompanied by a former PCC chief, Mr Sat Mahajan, and several MLAs namely Mr Singhi Ram, Mrs Asha Kumari, Mr Raghu Rai, Mr Gangu Ram Musafir, Mr Kuldeep Kumar and Mr Dharampal.
