New Delhi (Agency): A court in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, has summoned Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, asking him to appear on September 22. The summon comes in connection with a criminal defamation case filed against Yadav over his controversial remarks that “only Gujaratis can be thugs (fraudsters).”
The court, led by Additional Metropolitan Magistrate DJ Parmar, issued the summons under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for criminal defamation. These sections deal with the making of defamatory comments and the punishments that can follow.
Before issuing the summons, the court conducted an inquiry under section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). It found “sufficient grounds” to proceed with the case. The complaint against Yadav was filed by Haresh Mehta, a 69-year-old social worker and businessman from Ahmedabad.
Mehta’s complaint was supported by proof of Yadav’s statement, which was made before the media in Patna, Bihar, on March 21 of this year. In the Indian context, defamation cases can be brought against individuals for making statements that harm the reputation of another person. This case has attracted attention because it involves a senior political figure and it highlights the tensions that can arise from public comments.
Tejashwi Yadav is a key member of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), a significant political party in Bihar. His summoning by a court in another state, Gujarat, makes this a matter of national interest, particularly given the charged political environment in India.
