A Delhi court on Monday framed charges against former Union Minister Jagdish Tytler in a defamation case filed by advocate H.S. Phoolka.
Mr. Phoolka has been in the forefront of arguing cases filed by the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in various courts here, including the one against Mr. Tytler.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Gaurav Rao framed the charges when Mr. Tytler pleaded not guilty and claimed a trial.
The court later posted the case to May 2 for beginning trial with recording of prosecution evidence.
“It is alleged that you… had made defamatory imputation against complainant Sh. H.S. Phoolka… Further, you had made the following defamatory statements against him by stating that
he has made money. He is blackmailing people…’’ the ACMM said, while reading over and explaining the notice and putting questions to Mr. Tytler.
Saying that he had understood the notice, Mr. Tytler said that he pleaded not guilty and claimed a trial.
In his complaint, Mr. Phoolka alleged that Mr. Tytler had made derogatory remarks about him during the live telecast of two programmes titled “Khabro-ki-Khabar” and X-Factor on NDTV in 2004.
Mr. Phoolka had initially filed the complaint in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ludhiana, which had issued warrants against Mr. Tytler. Later, Mr. Tytler had approached the Supreme Court for transfer of the case to a Delhi court, submitting that he could not go to Ludhiana due to threat to his life. The Apex Court had later transferred the case to Delhi.
In his complaint, advocate H.S. Phoolka alleged that Mr. Tytler had made derogatory remarks about him during the live telecast of two programmes on NDTV in 2004
