If you reduce public debate to this level, you have to face consequences, SC tells Delhi deputy CM Sisodia

New Delhi, December 12

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s petition seeking quashing of defamation proceedings launched against him by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over allegations of corruption levelled against him by Sisodia.

“If you reduce public debate to this level, you have to face the consequences,” a Bench led by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul told senior counsel AM Singhvi, who represented Sisodia.

Sisodia had challenged the Gauhati High Court’s November 4 order dismissing his plea for quashing a criminal defamation case filed against him by Sarma.

The Bench said instead of realising what the country was going through during the pandemic, the petitioner was making such allegations.

As the top court was not inclined to entertain Sisodia’s plea, he chose to withdraw it.

Sarma had filed a criminal defamation complaint against Sisodia for making “baseless” corruption allegations against him in connection with the supply of PPE kits at “higher than market rates” to the National Health Mission (NHM) authorities during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The AAP leader had claimed that Sarma, as the state health minister in 2020, had given the supply orders to the firm of his wife. While such PPE kits were purchased from others for Rs 600 apiece, the same was bought from the company owned by Sarma’s wife at the rate of Rs 990 per kit, it was alleged. Sarma denied these allegations.

Singhvi told the Bench that Sisodia had nowhere said any money was taken.

“If you reduce public debate to this level, you have to face the consequences,” the Bench said, adding the petitioner should have unconditionally apologised.

Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, the wife of the Assam chief minister, had on June 21 filed a Rs 100-crore defamation case against the Delhi Deputy CM over the same allegation.

Singhvi said one cannot use the authority to “browbeat” others and that the petitioner had never said any money was taken.

In its order, the high court had said Sisodia has not been able to make out any case for quashing of the proceedings in the matter which is pending for disposal before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kamrup, at Guwahati.