New Delhi : Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit was on Saturday slapped with a fine of Rs three lakh by a court here for failing to appear before it in a defamation case filed by her against BJP leader Vijender Gupta.
It the second time she has been fined in the case. The court had earlier also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on Dikshit for her non-appearance. The fine amount was deposited by her in January this year, reports PTI.
While imposing the fine on Dikshit on Saturday, Metropolitan Magistrate Neha directed that out of Rs three lakh, Rs two lakh be deposited with Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DLSA) and Rs one lakh be given to Gupta.
The court has now directed Dikshit to appear before it on December 20, the next date of hearing. Dikshit, who resigned as Kerala Governor on Tuesday, moved an application in the court seeking a day’s exemption from personal appearance on the ground that she was pre-occupied with some political work. The plea, however, was opposed by Gupta’s counsel saying the court had earlier directed Dikshit to appear before it on Saturday without any fail or excuse and she was trying to delay the matter.
Advocates Anil Soni and Harish Katiyal, appearing for Gupta, said Dikshit was deliberately trying to delay the matter because she has no case against the BJP leader. On the last date of hearing, the court had fixed the hearing for today on the request of Dikshit’s counsel who had said that she would appear on any Saturday in August.
