HC issues notice to TV Today over Khurshid's defamation case

The Delhi High Court has issued notices to 14 defendents, including the TV Today group, against whom Union Law Minister’s wife Louise Khurshid has filed a case of defamation, over allegations made that an NGO run by her and husband had indulged in financial mismanagement.

“Summons have been issued against all 14 defendents in the case and the next date for the hearing of the matter is in January,” a legal counsel for Louise Khurshid told reporters outside the Delhi High court.

“The case filed is that of defamation and I would not like to go into allegations since the matter is subjudice,” he said.

Khurshid had filed the case after channels under the TV Today group had broadcast a news piece in which the law minister and she were accused of financial mismanagement in the Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust, which provided aids to physically challenged persons in Uttar Pradesh. The NGO, is accused of obtaining funds for camps which were never held and discrepancies in distribution of aid.

The issue had subsequently been taken up by activist-turned-politician Arvind Kejriwal who had demanded the Law Minister’s resignation over the issue and also promised to hold a rally against him in his constituency of Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh on 1 November.

While Khurshid refused to resign and presented evidence to claim that there was no evidence of corruption against him, the claims were later refuted by Kejriwal.

A PIL has also been filed in the Lucknow High court alleging that there had been corruption in the operations of the NGO and seeking the court monitor investigations into the matter. The court has directed the media group to furnish all the papers in the matter.