Court asks police to look into electronic evidence in defamation case against Smriti Irani

A special MP-MLA court here on Tuesday directed the local police to conduct an investigation into electronic and other evidence submitted by international shooter Vartika Singh in a defamation case against Union minister Smriti Irani.

Sultanpur (Uttar Pradesh): A special MP-MLA court here on Tuesday directed the local police to conduct an investigation into electronic and other evidence submitted by international shooter Vartika Singh in a defamation case against Union minister Smriti Irani.

The court of Special Judge MP/MLA Sultanpur, PK Jayant, on Tuesday, directed Inspector Garuriganj to conduct the investigation, her counsel Arvind Singh Raja said. Considering the prosecution application under the Code of Criminal Procedure as justified, the court ordered to complete police investigation by August 18 and file the report in the court, he said.

After the filing of the police report, the court will hear the matter of summoning of Irani, Raja said. Singh had filed a defamation suit in January this year, alleging that she was hurt by the remark made by Irani. Complainant Vartika Singh and other witnesses have recorded their statements in court.

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Apart from this, another case is going on in the MP/MLA court under 156(3), in which Singh has accused three people, including Irani, of allegedly demanding money to make her a member of the central women's commission.

Irani's legal counsel had in earlier hearings described the case as based on 'the most bizarre and mischievous set of falsehoods' and that 'political patronage' is written large on the matter.

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PTI