New Delhi [India]: Former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has filed a criminal defamation complaint against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor from Thiruvananthapuram in a Delhi Court. The case stemmed from remarks made by Tharoor during the recent Lok Sabha elections. Chandrasekhar has alleged that Tharoor’s statements were defamatory and harmful to his reputation.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar alleged that Shashi Tharoor, in an interview with a news channel during the Lok Sabha Elections, made serious allegations that Chandrasekhar of engaged in vote bribery. Chandrasekhar has claimed that these insinuations are defamatory and harmful to his reputation, leading him to file a criminal defamation case against Tharoor.
The defamation complaint has further asserted that in another interview with TV News Byte, Shashi Tharoor claimed that various individuals had approached him with allegations that Rajeev Chandrasekhar was bribing voters. Chandrasekhar has contended that these statements are defamatory and damaging to his reputation, which has prompted him to take legal action against Tharoor.
The defamation complaint against Shashi Tharoor was recently filed in Delhi’s Patiala House Court. However, the judge noted that, since the proposed accused (Shashi Tharoor) is serving as a Member of Parliament, the court does not have jurisdiction to handle the matter. Consequently, the case may need to be transferred to a court with appropriate jurisdiction for further proceedings.
The transfer petition related to the defamation case was scheduled to be heard by the Delhi High Court on August 13, but could not be taken up. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna is set to hear the transfer petition on August 21.
The complaint has highlighted that the accused, Shashi Tharoor, made what has been described as frivolous and baseless allegations against Rajeev Chandrasekhar through news channels and online platforms. The complaint has argued that Tharoor’s failure to verify these allegations beforehand has undermined their credibility.
It has also been stated that the complainant issued a legal notice for defamation on April 9, 2024, to Shashi Tharoor regarding his allegations that the complainant was bribing voters in the Thiruvananthapuram constituency, including leaders and representatives of religious and community organisations. The notice demanded that Tharoor withdraw the false statements and issue an unconditional public apology. However, Tharoor did not respond to the notice, nor did he retract his statements or apologise.