Court temporarily exempts Sheila Dikshit of Rs 3L fine

NEW DELHI: Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit was today temporarily exempted from depositing a cost of Rs three lakh imposed on her by a Delhi court for her non-appearance in a defamation case filed by her against BJP leader Vijender Gupta.

The court put its order on hold for three months after Dikshit said that her appeal against the August 30 direction is pending before the Delhi High Court which will hear it on January 6, 2015.

"The counsel for the complainant (Dikshit) has submitted that a petition has been filed before the high court of Delhi for waiver of cost imposed by this court on August 30.

"Since the petition is pending before the high court and has been fixed for January 6, 2015, therefore the cost will be now paid as per the directions of the high court," Metropolitan Magistrate Neha said.

Dikishit appeared for the first time today after demitting office as Chief Minister as on earlier dates she was the Governor of Kerala and after resigning from the post she had failed to appear before it inviting the cost of Rs three lakh.

The court has posted the matter for March 21, 2015, for cross examination of Dikshit.

76-year-old Dikshit, however, was permitted to leave from the court after her counsel submitted that her presence was not required during the proceedings as a prosecution witness, Pawan Khera, had to be examined.

Dikshit, who is the complainant in the case, was earlier directed to appear without fail before the court for her examination and cross examination.

The court, on August 6 last year, had framed criminal defamation charges against Gupta in the complaint alleging that the BJP leader had used "uncivilised" language against Dikshit in the run up to the MCD polls in 2012 while accusing her of helping and conniving with power companies.