SC extends stay on defamation case against Delhi CM over retweeting defamatory video of YouTuber
May 13, 2024
New Delhi [India], May 13 : The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday adjourned to August a plea filed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over a defamation case for retweeting a video of a YouTuber making allegations against BJP IT Cell.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta adjourned the case to August 12. The apex court also extended the stay granted earlier on the proceedings of the case before the trial court.
Earlier, the bench had granted a stay on the trial court's proceedings in the defamation case against Kejriwal over retweeting a video.
The apex court then granted more time to the complainant in the criminal defamation case against Kejriwal to discuss with him the modalities of an apology that would close the case.
On February 26, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appearing for Kejriwal submitted before the apex court that retweeting the video, which was allegedly defamatory, circulated by YouTuber Dhruv Rathee in 2018 was a "mistake".
The apex court had then directed the trial court not to proceed with the defamation case against him for the time being.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief had approached the apex court challenging the February 5 order of the Delhi High Court refusing to quash the summons issued against him. The High Court had said that reposting alleged libellous content would attract defamation law.
The summons was issued in a defamation complaint lodged against him for retweeting a video of a YouTuber on the social media platform 'X'.
Singhvi had told the apex court, "There is no problem in admitting that this was a mistake if he had known that these would be the consequences."
The bench had then asked the complainant in the case to take instructions if the case could be closed based on Kejriwal's admitting to the mistake.
A defamation complaint was filed against Kejriwal for retweeting a video by a YouTuber in 2018 accusing the account holder of an X (formerly Twitter) page called 'I Support Narendra Modi' of behaving like 'BJP IT Cell Part II'. Kejriwal retweeted the post, which led to the account holder moving a defamation complaint against the Delhi CM.
Vikas Sankrityayan, the complainant, asserted that the YouTube video with the title 'BJP IT Cell Part II' circulated by Rathee from Germany, contained false and defamatory allegations.
