New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Tuesday imposed a cost of Rs 5,000 on expelled Bharatiya Janata Party MP Kirti Azad for failing to respond to documents filed by the DDCA in its defamation suit against former cricketer and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal seeking Rs 2.5 crore damages from each of them.
Joint registrar Rajrani imposed the cost on the former cricketer-turned-politician, while giving him a last opportunity to file the affidavit and fixed the matter for hearing on October 25.
On February 6, the joint registrar had slapped costs of Rs 10,000 and Rs 30,000 on Mr Kejriwal and Mr Azad, respectively for delayed replies to the defamation suit filed by the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).
Mr Kejriwal and Mr Azad are facing defamation suits filed by the DDCA for alleged defamatory criticism about the body’s finances and functioning.
The DDCA had earlier alleged the CM “with prior motive, indulged in certain false, shocking, scandalous, baseless, malicious and outrageous statements, which are defamatory against them”.
