THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, Feb 13: The Supreme Court dismissed a criminal defamation case against Tejashwi Yadav, a leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), on Tuesday, for his remarks about Gujaratis.
Tejashwi Yadav withdraws his statement
A panel consisting of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan dismissed the complaint after Yadav retracted his statement, which said “only Gujaratis can be thugs”.
“We have quashed the case in view of the petitioner (Yadav) withdrawing his statements on record. Accordingly disposed of,” the bench said as it issued the order.
The Supreme Court’s decision was made in response to Yadav’s request to relocate the criminal defamation case against him, which was lodged in an Ahmedabad court due to his comments about Gujaratis, to a neutral venue, preferably Delhi.
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Earlier, Yadav’s lawyer informed the bench that he had retracted his statement, and the Supreme Court acknowledged Yadav’s apology, duly noting it on record.
Hareshbhai Mehta filed the case in Ahmedabad
Hareshbhai Mehta, the vice president of the All India Anti-Corruption and Crime Preventive Council, lodged the criminal defamation complaint against Tejashwi Yadav.
Yadav faced allegations of criminal defamation under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), as per the complaint filed against him.
Following his alleged statement implying that “only Gujaratis can be thugs,” a criminal defamation complaint was lodged against him in a magistrate court in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
“Only Gujaratis can be thugs in the present situation, and their fraud (crime) will be forgiven. Who will be responsible if they abscond after they are offered the money belonging to the LIC and bank?” Yadav stated in March of the previous year.
