Sheila Dikshit slapped with Rs 3 lakh fine for non-appearance

New Delhi: Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit was on Saturday slapped with a fine of Rs 3 lakh by a court in the national capital for failing to appear before it in a defamation case filed by her against BJP leader Vijender Gupta.

It is the second time she has been fined in the case. The court had earlier also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on Dikshit for her non-appearance. The fine amount was deposited by her in January this year.

While imposing the fine on Dikshit on Saturday, Metropolitan Magistrate Neha directed that out of Rs 3 lakh, Rs two 2 be deposited with Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DLSA) and Rs 1 lakh be given to Gupta.

The court has now directed Dikshit to appear before it on December 20, the next date of hearing.

Dikshit, who resigned as Kerala Governor on Tuesday, moved an application in the court seeking a day's exemption from personal appearance on the ground that she was pre-occupied with some political work.

The plea, however, was opposed by Gupta's counsel saying the court had earlier directed Dikshit to appear before it today without any fail or excuse and she was trying to delay the matter.

Advocates Anil Soni and Harish Katiyal, appearing for Gupta, said Dikshit was deliberately trying to delay the matter because she has no case against the BJP leader.

On the last date of hearing, the court had fixed the hearing for today on the request of Dikshit's counsel who had said that she would appear on any Saturday in August.

Dikshit had not appeared in the court on the last date of hearing also citing official tour.

The court, on August 6 last year, had framed criminal defamation charges against Gupta in the complaint filed by Dikshit.

Dikshit had filed a complaint against Gupta alleging that the BJP leader had used "uncivilised" language against her in the run up to the MCD polls in 2012 while accusing her of helping and conniving with power companies.

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