The Delhi High Court on Monday issued summons to Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Shashi Tharoor in response to a defamation suit filed by former Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The suit accuses Tharoor of tarnishing his image by making allegations of voter bribery during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
A bench of Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav has called for Tharoor’s response and set April 28 as the next hearing date before the registrar. The court directed that the plaint be registered as a suit and that the summons be returnable by the April date.
In the defamation suit, Rajeev Chandrasekhar has sought ₹10 crore in damages, stating that Tharoor’s accusations during a television interview severely damaged both his personal and professional reputation. The suit, presented by senior advocate Vaibhav Ghaggar, further claims that these remarks led to Chandrasekhar’s defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Tharoor won the Thiruvananthapuram seat for the fourth consecutive term, defeating Chandrasekhar by a margin of over 16,000 votes.
Chandrasekhar also sought an injunction from the court, requesting that Tharoor be restrained from making any further defamatory statements against him in public. This legal battle follows Chandrasekhar’s previous attempt to seek criminal action against Tharoor, which was filed earlier in a city court. However, the city court deferred its order on Monday.
The case has drawn considerable attention as it centers around the intersection of political rivalry and legal recourse, with both sides contesting the impact of public statements made during the high-stakes electoral season.
Sources By Agencies
