New Delhi: Finance minister Arun Jaitley was subjected to two hours of questioning on Monday in a civil defamation suit he has brought against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi high court.
A total of 42 questions were put to Jaitley by eminent lawyer Ram Jethmalani, who is appearing for Kejriwal. Four of the questions were disallowed by the court.
This is the third instance of cross-examination in the case. Jethmalani had in earlier hearings put a total of 69 questions to Jaitley.
Jaitley has brought civil defamation proceedings against Kejriwal and some other Aam Aadmi Party politicians in the Delhi high court for making allegations of financial irregularities that dated back to the time the finance minister was president of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) in the 2000-01 to 2012-13 period.
At the outset on Monday, Jethmalani raised the question of various proposals of funding considered by DDCA for construction of a stadium at the Ferozshah Kotla. Two specific proposals were referred to.
Jaitley said the proposals were “oral suggestions” which were “tentative in nature”. They did not fructify as the association chose an alternative model where it decided to build the stadium using its own resources, he added.
He denied accepting donations for funding the stadium.
“The alternative funding mechanism through signage, sponsorship, and an increased infrastructure grant by BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) was a better model for stadium construction and funding. This model subsequently became a precedent for other stadiums built in the country,” he submitted.
It was explained that the stadium’s construction was carried out by awarding it to a public sector organization through a bidding process. Claims of any funds being misappropriated in Jaitley’s tenure as the association’s president were denied.
Jaitley has sought Rs10 crore in compensation for alleged defamatory remarks made by Kejriwal, Raghav Chadha, Kumar Vishwas, Ashutosh, Sanjay Singh and Deepak Bajpai against him and his family. A criminal defamation case on the issue is being heard simultaneously at another forum.
The cross-examination will continue on 17 May.
