Made mistake by retweeting video, Arvind Kejriwal tells Supreme Court in defamation case

Published on: 26 Feb 2024 at 03:22 PM

Published by: PreetiMahajan

New Delhi, February 26

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday told the Supreme Court that he made a mistake by retweeting an allegedly defamatory video circulated by YouTuber Dhruv Rathee related to the BJP IT Cell.

A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, without issuing notice on a plea by Kejriwal challenging a Delhi High Court order which upheld summons issued to him as an accused in the criminal defamation case, asked the complainant whether he wanted to close the matter in view of the chief minister’s apology.

The bench also asked the trial court not to take up the defamation case involving Kejriwal till March 11.

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, said, “I can say this much that I made a mistake by retweeting.”

In its judgement dated February 5, the high court had said that reposting alleged libellous content would attract the defamation law.

The high court had said a sense of responsibility has to be attached while retweeting content about which one does not have knowledge and added that retweeting of defamatory content must invite penal and civil action if the person retweeting it does not attach a disclaimer.