Bribe issue: Court to hear plea against Kejriwal on September 10

New Delhi, Jul 28 : A city court would hear in September a criminal complaint seeking action against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly exhorting voters to take bribe from Congress and BJP and vote for AAP in the last assembly elections.

Metropolitan Magistrate Babru Bhan posted the matter for September 10 as the lawyers in the six district courts are on an indefinite strike to protest the delay in passage of a Bill in Parliament aimed at enhancing pecuniary jurisdiction of trial courts.

The court had earlier directed the police to file an action taken report (ATR) on the complaint. The police is yet to file the ATR in the case.

The court had on February 3 directed SHO of Subzi Mandi Police Station to file ATR on several issues, including on whether they have received any such complaint and what action they have taken on it.

On the complaint filed by advocate Ikrant Sharma, the court had asked police that after the inquiry, whether any cognizable offence was made out against Kejriwal and if yes, whether any FIR has been registered.

The court had also asked them to inform it about the status of its investigation. Sharma has sought registration of FIR against Kejriwal for the alleged offences including abetment, offering or accepting bribe and punishment for bribery under the Indian Penal Code.

"The accused has deliberately and intentionally abated Delhi voters to take bribe from the political parties in Delhi Assembly elections in 2015 during his public rally on January 18 at Uttam Nagar here," he had said in a petition.

He also said he has been unable to collect evidence against the accused and sought police's involvement and direction to investigate the matter and register an FIR.

PTI