New Delhi: In a defamation case filed by a former AAP supporter against Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia and former AAP leader Yogendra Yadav, a Delhi court on Tuesday issued non-bailable warrants against all the three accused. The order was issued after Kejriwal and others did not turn up even after multiple court summons. The court will hear the matter on Wednesday morning at 10:30 AM. 

Even the lawyers of the accused failed to turn up in response to the summons sent to their clients in the defamation case filed by Surender Kumar Sharma.

The matter is related to a case filed by Sharma where he had alleged that in 2013 he was approached by volunteers of AAP who had asked him to contest the Delhi Assembly election on a party ticket, saying Kejriwal was pleased with his social services.

Sharma filled the application form to contest the polls after being told by Sisodia and Yadav that AAP’s political affairs committee had decided to give him the ticket. However, he was later denied the ticket. 

On 14 October 2013, the complainant claimed, articles in leading newspapers carried “defamatory, unlawful and derogatory words used by the accused persons" which have lowered his reputation in the bar and society. 

Opposing the complaint, the AAP leaders had submitted that cancellation or allotment of an election ticket is the prerogative of the party and that the complainant had not divulged correct information about the cases pending against him.
(With inputs from agencies)