The Supreme Court announced the amicable settlement of a defamation dispute involving Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Congress Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha. The dispute, which also included senior advocate Tankha, was resolved after a meeting in Parliament. Tankha agreed to withdraw both the civil suit for defamation and the criminal complaint.
Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, representing the petitioners, informed the court about the resolution reached between the parties. The court acknowledged the settlement, emphasizing the importance of politicians maintaining a higher level of tolerance. The apex court praised the resolution, stating that all pending disputes, including the criminal complaint and defamation case, have been terminated.
The Supreme Court had previously granted interim relief to the BJP leaders, directing that they need not face bailable warrants if they participate effectively in the trial court proceedings through counsel. The petitioners had approached the Supreme Court after the Madhya Pradesh High Court declined to quash the trial court’s decision to take cognizance of Tankha’s defamation complaint.
