Vivek Tankha withdraws defamation case against Shivraj Singh Chauhan after they settle matter

Congress MP Vivek Tankha has withdrawn the defamation case filed by him against former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan after they settled the matter outside the Court [Shivraj Singh Chouhan & Ors vs Vivek Krishna Tankha].

The Supreme Court was informed of the development on Tuesday.

Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, appearing for Chouhan, told the Bench of Justices MM Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh that Chauhan and Tankha met in the parliament and decided to settle the matter.

“My client and Mr Tankha met in Parliament and settled the matter. We will not take any time except to say that Mr Tankha will withdraw his civil suit for defamation against my client as well as the criminal complaint,” Jethmalani said.

“See, they are parliamentarians; compared to us, they are more thick-skinned. The language of politicians is different, and being overly sensitive should be avoided as it is part of their job,” responded Justice Sundresh.

Following this, the Court recorded the settlement, stating that all pending disputes, including both the criminal complaint and the civil defamation case, stand terminated.

"We have been informed by senior counsel that the matter has been amicably resolved. We are expressing our appreciation," said the order.

The case dates back to 2024 when Vivek Tankha filed a criminal defamation complaint against Chouhan, BJP MP Vishnu Datt Sharma, and MLA Bhoopendra Singh.

The complaint alleged that the leaders had defamed him in connection with a Supreme Court case related to the State Panchayat elections.

The trial court took cognizance of the complaint and the Madhya Pradesh High Court subsequently upheld that decision, allowing the case to proceed.

Chouhan and other petitioners then moved the Supreme Court challenging the defamation case.

The apex court issued notice on their plea in November 2024 and granted them interim relief, stating that Chouhan and the other BJP leaders would not have to appear personally before the trial court and could be represented through their lawyers.

The settlement, reached in parliament, has resulted in the withdrawal of both the criminal and civil complaints, effectively bringing the legal dispute to an end.

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