Setback for outgoing CM Gehlot as Delhi court rejects his revision plea in Sanjeevani defamation case

Jaipur/New Delhi: Following the defeat in the Rajasthan Assembly elections, outgoing Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot got another jolt on Wednesday as a Delhi court approved his trial in the defamation case filed by Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

Gehlot's attempt to challenge the summons issued by the trial court fell flat with the Rouse Avenue court rejecting his revision petition.

Additional Sessions Judge M.K. Nagpal on Wednesday reviewed Gehlot's petition, challenging the trial court's summons in the defamation case and in a 64-page order, upheld the summons issued to Gehlot, asking him to appear for the trial in the defamation case.

Shekhawat's lawyer Aditya Vikram Singh said that the summons issued to Gehlot on July 6 make him prima facie guilty in the entire case.

In the event of a conviction following the trial, Gehlot could potentially face imprisonment, putting his Assembly membership at risk.

Gehlot had repeatedly accused Shekhawat of being involved in the Sanjeevani scam.

During a public event in Jodhpur in February, Gehlot asserted that Shekhawat and his family were involved in the alleged scam. In response, Shekhawat filed a defamation case on March 3 in Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court, vehemently denying the allegations and terming them baseless.

As his and his family's names had not appeared in the four charge sheets presented thus far, Delhi Police's investigation prompted the court to issue summons to Gehlot on August 6. Gehlot challenged the summons but the court decision on his revision plea means that he will have to face the trial in the case.