Anil Agrawal had filed a plea against Mani Shankar Aiyar in 2017 (file)
The Delhi police on Thursday gave a clean chit to Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar in two complaints over his alleged derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his meeting with Pakistani officials.
The police in their separate Action Taken Reports(ATR) sought dismissal of the two complaints filed against the former union minister by advocate and politician Ajay Agrawal.
The police told a court that mere uttering of a derogatory word without a more "overt act" against the Prime Minister does not constitute an offence of sedition against Mr Aiyar.
"Mere uttering a derogatory word, without more overt act, against PM of India did not constitute an offence under section 124A (sedition) and 153 A (promoting enmity) of Indian Penal Code," the police told Metropolitan Magistrate Vasundhara Azad.
Mr Aiyar was suspended by the Congress after he called PM Modi a ''neech aadmi"(lowly person) on December 7, 2017.
In criminal law, an overt act is the one that can be clearly proved by evidence and from which criminal intent can be inferred.
The police also contended that even if Mr Aiyar broke the protocol by hosting Pakistan officials, it does not attract any penal provision under the Indian Penal Code(IPC).
"As far as the allegations of conspiring against India by these persons matter, the complainant is only assuming this and no such evidence has come on record to show conspiracy till now," it added.
Mr Agrawal had filed a plea against Mr Aiyar in 2017 for lodging a sedition case against him for allegedly using derogatory remarks against PM Modi and hosting a meeting with Pakistani officials.
The court has put up the matter for further hearing on December 16.