Rasesh Parikh told DNA that the defamation suits pending against Congress leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala, Ashok Chavan, Shaktisinh Gohil, Oommen Chandy, and Priyanka Chaturvedi (who left Congress for Shiv Sena) have been formally withdrawn on Thursday.
Three group companies of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG)—Reliance Infrastructure Limited, Reliance Defence Limited, and Reliance Aerostructure Limited—on Friday withdrew Rs 5,000 crore civil defamation suits filed against top Congress leaders and publications pending before the Ahmedabad city civil court for their statements and articles on the controversial Rafale fighter jet deal.
Counsel for the group Rasesh Parikh told DNA that the defamation suits pending against Congress leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala, Ashok Chavan, Shaktisinh Gohil, Oommen Chandy, and Priyanka Chaturvedi (who left Congress for Shiv Sena) have been formally withdrawn on Thursday. This apart, he added, suits pending against Associated Journals Limited—the publisher of National Herald, and Raju Ramchandran have been withdrawn.
The advocate clarified that the defamation suits pending against other Congress leaders and media houses remains as it is and he has not received any instruction to withdraw the suits pending against them.
Notably, the company had in May written letters to some of the Congress leaders and publications who were sued for Rs 5000 to Rs 10,000 crore for their "libelous and derogatory" remarks and articles. Interestingly, over 30 persons and media houses have been sued by the group companies.
The letter written by Parikh in May provides: "My clients are of the view that the said defamatory statements were made by you for political purposes in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections 2019 that have concluded on May 19. You are aware that the subject matter in relation to which you have made the defamatory statements is pending for adjudication before the Supreme Court. I hereby convey our client's decision to withdraw the aforesaid defamation case against you pending before the City Civil Court, Ahmedabad, on the next date of hearing."
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 "Ashok Chavan, Randeep Singh Surjewala")
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