The Delhi High Court on Friday stayed trial court proceedings
against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson and media relations in-charge
Harish Khurana in a defamation Case filed by Delhi Deputy Chief
Minister Manish Sisodia.
Khurana had moved to court seeking the stay.
On January 5, the HC stayed the proceedings before a
trial court in the defamation case that Sisodia had filed against BJP
leaders Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Hans Raj Hans.
Sisodia sued Sirsa, Hans and other BJP leaders,
including Manoj Tiwari and Vijender Gupta after they claimed that he was
implicated in a corruption fraud involving approximately Rs 2,000 crore
relating to the construction of new classrooms in Delhi's government schools.
Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma had also issued notice on
the pleas put up by the two BJP leaders opposing the trial court's
summoning order dated November 28, 2019.
The court had listed Sirsa's and Hans' matter for the
next hearing on March 10.
A request for discharge in the same case by the BJP
leaders was rejected by the lower court in December 2022.
Appearing for the BJP leaders, senior advocates Pawan
Narang and Kirti Uppal had said that Vijender Gupta, one of the summoned
individuals, had filed a petition before the Supreme Court for relief in
response to the same summoning order.
In light of the apex court's ruling that Gupta's tweet
does not constitute defamation, they noted, the case against Hans and Sirsa
also required consideration and analysis.
The court had issued a notice to Sisodia after hearing
from the senior advocates.
In 2019, Sisodia sued six BJP leaders for defamation.