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 of
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, civil as well as tort action if the person
retweeting it does not attach a disclaimer.
The chief
minister had said in the high court that the trial court failed to appreciate
that his tweet was not intended or likely to harm the complainant, Vikas
Sankrityayan.
Kejriwal's plea
before the high court said the trial court erred in not providing any reasons
for issuing the summons and the orders were 'ex-facie' devoid of judicial
application of mind.
Sankrityayan claimed
the YouTube video titled 'BJP IT Cell Part II' was circulated by Rathee, who
lives in Germany, "wherein a number of false and defamatory allegations
were made"