Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 31: Political Advisor to Chief Minister, Devender Singh Rana today served legal notice to Harshdev Singh, MLA Ramnagar and Chairman of J&K National Panthers Party for leveling false, misleading and malicious allegations. In the legal notice, it has been made clear that in case Harshdev Singh failed to tender public apology, Rana would file defamation suit worth Rs 10 crore.
In the legal notice served through Advocate Dinesh Singh Chouhan, it has been mentioned that news report titled “NC, Panthers indulge into war of words, use choicest crude lexicons against each other” appeared in a local English daily, has quoted certain false and defamatory allegations made by MLA Harshdev Singh against Devender Singh Rana.
Extracting the specific comments of the news report– “Rana has brought disrepute…, he said, adding that the Political Advisor’s role in seeking business assignments from FCI and other agencies by exploiting his connections has cost the State dearly”, the legal notice said, “these allegations are not only false, misleading, incorrect and malicious in their entirety but have been made purposely to harm the reputation of my client in the estimation of public at large. Specifically, my client has not sought or obtained any business assignments from FCI as alleged or at all”.
“You have chosen to make and publish amongst the public at large, the news report containing defamatory allegations and insinuations against my client, without there being any basis at all to substantiate these allegations and insinuations. These defamatory allegations have been made in bad faith and with the specific intention of defaming my client”, said the legal notice signed by Advocate D S Chauhan and addressed to Harshdev Singh.
The legal notice also reads: “Your actions constitute a penal offence under the provisions of the Ranbir Penal Code, 1932, as amended, and are also actionable in civil law”. It adds: “My client is committed to vindicate his honour and reputation, which you have so recklessly tried to tarnish through the news report”.
Through the legal notice, Devender Singh Rana has called upon the NPP MLA to withdraw all the allegations and statements made against him in the news report and tender an unconditional and unqualified public apology within seven days failing which Devender Singh Rana would be constrained to commence appropriate legal proceedings against NPP MLA in accordance with law, which may include the filing of an appropriate complaint under the J&K Code of Criminal Procedure, Svt 1988 and a defamation suit for recovering damages to the extent of Rs 10 crore before an appropriate court of law.
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