Shimla, May 17
The Himachal Pradesh High Court deferred the hearing of the defamation case filed by former Congress legislator Sudhir Sharma against Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh on Thursday. Sudhir Thakur, the petitioner’s counsel, informed the court that notices could not be served to the Chief Minister.
During the proceedings, it was revealed that notices had not been successfully delivered to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. This information was presented by the petitioner’s lawyer, indicating a procedural hurdle in the legal process. Judge Satyen Vaidya, presiding over the single bench, acknowledged this issue.
The case revolves around allegations made by Sudhir Sharma in his petition, wherein he claimed that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu defamed him during a speech in Una. According to the petition, the Chief Minister allegedly stated that six Congress rebel MLAs and three independents were bought for Rs. 15 crore each, tarnishing Sudhir Sharma’s image among the public.
In response to these allegations, Sudhir Sharma has filed a defamation claim amounting to Rs. 1.05 crore against the Chief Minister. This legal action seeks to address the purported damage inflicted upon Sudhir Sharma’s reputation as a result of the Chief Minister’s statements.
The court’s decision to defer the hearing indicates that further legal proceedings will occur in two weeks’ time.
