A 10-year-old defamation case filed by BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal against former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh was dropped today after the latter expressed "regret" in a local court.
Taking on record Singh's statement, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Shimla Jyotsna Dadwal dropped the criminal defamation proceedings against him.
In his statement, Singh said, "Dhumal and I have shared a cordial relationship. In the course of my speech in Hamirpur Jan 18, 2003, I did not attack Dhumal personally, though I criticised his government... Unfortunately, the speech was incorrectly reported in some newspapers."
"I regret the hurt caused to Dhumal by incorrect reporting in the press," he said.
At this point, Dhumal told the court that he did not want to pursue the case.
However, another defamation case filed by Dhumal against Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Motilal Vora would continue.
Earlier, Dhumal had moved the court, saying charges levelled against him by Amarinder Singh and Vora were false and politically motivated and it was to tarnish his image.
In the second defamation case filed in 2003, Dhumal also sued Anand Sharma, presently, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry for releasing a list of assets allegedly owned by Dhumal at a press conference in the state.
That case is pending in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Dadwal and listed for hearing on September 28.
Dhumal's counsel Satyapal Jain told the court that "if both the accused (Vora and Sharma) are ready to offer regret, then we may consider not to pursue the case otherwise it will be argued".
