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Delhi CM Kejriwal now apologises to Arun Jaitley, court moved for withdrawing defamation case

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Delhi CM Kejriwal now apologises to Arun Jaitley, court moved for withdrawing defamation case

Continuing his apology spree, labelled ‘AAPology’ by wags, Delhi chief minister has said sorry to finance minister Arun Jaitley in the defamation case the latter had filed against him for allegations of financial irregularities in Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).

Joining Kejriwal in the apology were three of his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) colleagues Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chadha and Ashutosh. All four, in a joint letter, apologized to the BJP leader.

Jaitley has accepted the apology, reported ANI quoting sources, and Jaitley and Kejriwal have moved a joint plea before a Delhi court seeking to settle the criminal defamation case.

Jaitley had filed a Rs 10-crore defamation suit against Arvind Kejriwal and five other AAP leaders — Raghav Chadha, Kumar Vishwas, Sanjay Singh, Ashutosh and Deepak Bajpai for alleging financial irregularities in DDCA when Jaitley was its president from 2003 to 2013. Jaitley had accused Kejriwal and other AAP leaders of making a series of “false, scandalous and defamatory” allegations against him, claiming it had adversely affected his reputation.

Vishwas has not yet tendered an apology and hence the proceedings shall continue against him.

Additional chief metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishalv said the court will take up the application, filed by Arun Jaitley and Kejriwal through their respective counsels, on Tuesday, April 3, said media reports.

“Each of the accused (Kejriwal, Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chadha, Ashutosh and Deepak Bajpai) have unequivocally withdrawn all the allegations made by them in print, electronic or social media against the complainant and his family members. Further they have offered their sincere apology to the complainant and his family members for any harm caused to the complainant’s reputation as a consequence of the allegation made by the said accused.

“The complainant has accepted the apology tendered by the accused and in view thereof does not wish to proceed with the aforementioned complaint against the said accused,” the application said.

The complaint is currently at the stage of examination of the complainant after the court framed the charges against the accused on March 25 last year.

“These allegations made by me were based on information and papers furnished to me by certain individuals who represented to have first-hand insight into the affairs of DDCA. However, I have recently discovered that the information and the imputations contained therein are unfounded and warranted and I was clearly misinformed into making these allegations,” wrote Kejriwal and his colleagues in the apology to Jaitley.

Kejriwal and his colleagues said they withdraw all allegations against Jaitley. “I offer my sincere apology to you and your family members for any harm caused to your reputation as a consequence of my allegations,” the AAP leaders’ joint apology said, urging him to “end the unsavoury litigations between us”.

Kejriwal’s apology spree began last month, starting with BJP’s Nitin Gadkari, the Congress party’s Kapil Sibal and the Akali Dal’s Bikram SIngh Majithia.

Last month AAP’s senior leader and Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia defended the move, saying his party was not interested in any “ego fight” and didn’t want to get bogged down in legal battles instead of serving the people.

“If someone is hurt by our remarks, we will apologise. We will not make it a fight of ego. We are here to work for people. We have not spared time for court, we have spared time for us so that we could fight for people,” said Sisodia to reporters on the premises of Delhi Assembly.

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India hits back at Shehbaz Sharif at UN, says terror will have consequences

India hit back at Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s UN speech, with New Delhi warning that terrorism will have consequences.

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India has responded to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks at the United Nations, delivering a strong message on terrorism and warning that such actions will have consequences.

The response came after Mr Sharif addressed the UN and raised issues concerning India and Pakistan. New Delhi rejected the narrative presented by the Pakistani prime minister and highlighted the issue of terrorism.

India’s message was delivered by Petal Gehlot, who represented New Delhi in the response to Pakistan.

India warns Pakistan over terrorism

India’s response focused on Pakistan’s record and its approach towards terrorism. New Delhi made clear that terrorism cannot be separated from its consequences and that those responsible cannot expect such actions to go unanswered.

The Indian side also pushed back against the claims and allegations made by Mr Sharif during his UN speech.

The exchange comes amid continuing tensions between India and Pakistan, with terrorism remaining a major point of disagreement between the two countries.

Shehbaz Sharif’s UN remarks

In his address, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke about India-Pakistan relations and raised several issues concerning New Delhi.

India subsequently exercised its right of reply to respond to Pakistan’s statements at the United Nations.

New Delhi’s response underlined its position that terrorism remains a serious issue in the relationship and that there would be consequences for terrorist actions.

The latest exchange at the UN adds to the continuing diplomatic confrontation between the two neighbouring countries.

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Veeramani POCSO case: Vijay questions Stalin over earlier probe

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has questioned MK Stalin over the handling of the Veeramani POCSO case, while Stalin has rejected allegations that the previous DMK government protected anyone.

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Actor Vijay

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C Joseph Vijay has questioned DMK president MK Stalin over the handling of the POCSO case involving Gem Granites founder R Veeramani. The political exchange follows renewed investigation into allegations involving minor girls.

Vijay’s remarks came as the ruling TVK stepped up its questions about how the case was handled during the previous DMK government. The party’s IT wing has alleged that the earlier investigation was weakened and questioned why a final report was filed.

The allegations have been rejected by the DMK. Stalin has said that no order was issued by the DMK government to protect anyone in the case and has called the allegations false and defamatory.

What did Vijay say about the Veeramani case?

Vijay questioned Stalin over the handling of the case and demanded an explanation from the former chief minister.

The TVK has specifically questioned why action was not taken against Veeramani during the previous administration and why the earlier investigation resulted in a closure report.

The party has also raised questions about the role of officials involved in the earlier investigation. These are political allegations made by the TVK and have not been established as facts.

What is the Veeramani POCSO case?

The case concerns allegations of sexual abuse of minors involving R Veeramani, the founder of Gem Granites.

The case came under renewed scrutiny after a special POCSO court rejected an earlier closure report and ordered further investigation. The expanded probe has subsequently identified additional alleged survivors who were minors at the time of the alleged offences, according to current reporting.

The investigation is also examining the circumstances surrounding the earlier probe and whether there were any lapses in how the case was handled.

What has MK Stalin said?

Stalin has rejected allegations that the previous DMK government protected Veeramani.

He has said that no order was issued by the DMK government to shield anyone in the case. Stalin has also said that everyone responsible for the alleged offences, including anyone who aided or attempted to protect the accused, should face the law.

The DMK president has further said that the focus should remain on securing justice for the affected girls rather than making political allegations.

Why has the case become a political issue?

The Veeramani case has become the subject of a political dispute between the ruling TVK and the DMK over the handling of the earlier investigation.

The TVK is questioning the previous government’s handling of the case, while the DMK has denied that it intervened to protect the accused.

At this stage, claims about political interference or deliberate weakening of the earlier investigation should be treated as allegations unless established by the ongoing investigation or judicial proceedings.

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Women wrestlers challenge Brij Bhushan’s acquittal in sexual harassment case

Four women wrestlers have challenged the acquittal of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and co-accused Vinod Tomar in a sexual harassment case.

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Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh

Four women wrestlers have approached a Delhi court challenging the acquittal of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a sexual harassment case.

The wrestlers have also challenged the acquittal of co-accused Vinod Tomar. The matter is scheduled to be heard by a Special Judge at the Rouse Avenue Courts.

The appeal challenges the order passed by an Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate on August 3, 2026, when Brij Bhushan and Tomar were acquitted in the case.

Wrestlers challenge court’s reasoning

In their appeal, the wrestlers have argued that the acquittal order is legally unsustainable and that the evidence was not assessed appropriately.

They have also alleged that the order relied on assumptions about how victims of sexual assault and harassment were expected to behave instead of assessing the evidence and circumstances of the complainants.

The challenge seeks judicial scrutiny of the findings that resulted in the acquittal of Brij Bhushan and Tomar.

Brij Bhushan was acquitted in August

The Rouse Avenue court acquitted Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on August 3 in the sexual harassment case involving women wrestlers. The court’s decision followed consideration of the evidence and statements presented during the proceedings.

The case had emerged after several women wrestlers accused the former WFI chief of sexual harassment. The allegations had led to a major protest by wrestlers in 2023.

The latest appeal means the acquittal is now being challenged before a higher court.

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