Gauhati HC dismisses plea to quash criminal defamation case against Manish Sisodia

NEW DELHI, (ANI): The Gauhati High Court on Monday dismissed the petition to quash the criminal defamation case against Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The case has been filed against the senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia by Himanta Biswa Sarma in the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court (CJM) of Kamarup district.

According Advocate General of Assam Devajit Lon Saikia, the Gauhati High Court on Monday dismissed the petition filed by Sisodia seeking to quash the case filed by Assam Chief Minister against him. The CJM court, Kamrup asked Manish Sisodia to appear before the court on November 19.

Chief Minister Sarma filed a criminal defamation case against Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia as Sisodia alleged that the Assam government had given contracts to Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife’s firms and son’s business partner to supply PPE kits above market rates when COVID-19 pandemic was raging in the country in 2020.

Assam CM’s wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma in June this year filed a Rs 100 crore civil defamation suit against Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in Civil Judge Court, Kamrup (Metro), Guwahati. AAP leader Sisodia, in a press conference on June 4, alleged that the Assam government had given contracts to the Chief Minister’s wife’s firms and son’s business partner to supply PPE kits above market rates when the COVID-19 pandemic was raging in the country in 2020.

Reacting to the allegations of irregularities in the supply of PPE kits, Sarma had stated that the PPE kits were “gifted to the government” and his wife’s company “raised no bill” for it. (ANI)