Defamation row: Himachal court issues summons to AAP leader Manish Sisodia

A court in Himachal Pradesh’s Una district has issued summons to senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia in connection with an alleged defamation case filed by a former state leader of the party. The court has directed Sisodia to appear before it on May 12 .

The complaint was filed by Anoop Kesari , a lawyer from Una who once served as the president of AAP’s Himachal Pradesh unit. Kesari, along with several of his supporters, quit the AAP in April 2022 and later joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

According to the complaint, Kesari alleged that shortly after he left the party, Sisodia addressed a press conference in Delhi on April 9, 2022 , where he made serious allegations against him . Kesari claims the accusations were made without presenting any supporting evidence or proof , which he says damaged his reputation.

In his petition before the court, Kesari argued that the statements amounted to “character assassination carried out from a public platform” and caused harm to his personal and professional standing. Feeling aggrieved by the remarks, he approached the court seeking legal action for defamation.

After reviewing the complaint, supporting arguments, and preliminary evidence , the Una court found sufficient grounds to proceed with the matter and issued a summons to Sisodia , asking him to appear in person on the scheduled date.

The case now sets the stage for a legal contest over the remarks allegedly made during the 2022 political fallout in Himachal Pradesh. The upcoming hearing on May 12 will determine the next course of proceedings in the defamation case.