Manish Sisodia faces criminal defamation case filed by Himanta Biswa Sarma
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has been summoned on November 19 by a local court in Assam to appear for hearing in a criminal defamation case filed by his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Mr Sisodia's petition in the Gauhati High Court seeking to cancel the summon and the case against him was dismissed by the high court.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader in June alleged that the Assam Chief Minister awarded a contract for COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) kits to a company linked to his wife and overpaid for the gear.
"Himanta Biswa Sarma awarded the contract to his wife's company. He paid Rs 990 for the PPE kits while others were purchased at Rs 600 apiece from another company on the same day. This is a huge crime," Mr Sisodia had alleged.
After strongly denying the allegation, Mr Sarma filed a criminal defamation case against Mr Sisodia with the court of chief judicial magistrate in Kamrup district.
"According to Manish Sisodia, Himanta Biswa Sarma was involved in corrupt practices in supplying PPE kits in March 2020 amid COVID-19. Manish Sisodia told the media that Himanta Biswa Sarma was instrumental in giving supply order to his wife's company, JCB Industries, for supply of about 1,500 PPE kits," Assam Advocate General Devajit Lon Saikia told reporters today, adding the Chief Minister, knowing the allegation to be false, filed the criminal defamation case.
The allegations by Mr Sisodia were based on an investigative report published on the news website The Wire, which was strongly refuted by Mr Sarma and his wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, as "unfounded".
The Chief Minister's wife had tweeted an "appreciation letter" from the National Health Mission for providing PPE kits under corporate social responsibility.
"I did not take a single penny out of this supply. I have always been transparent about my belief in giving back to the society, irrespective of my husband's political standing. My organisation has also supported the NHM in the fight against COVID-19 by donating to the Aarogya Nidhi," Riniki Bhuyan Sharma had said.