Court to hear criminal case against Kejriwal Tuesday

New Delhi, Feb 2: A court here Monday deferred the hearing on a plea for action against AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal for exhorting voters in his election speeches to take bribes if offered by the BJP and Congress but to vote for his party. The hearing was postponed for Feb 3 (Tuesday) as the Metropolitan Magistrate Richa Gusain Solanki was on leave Monday. The criminal case was filed by Arun Kumar, a practicing lawyer in Tis Hazari courts, accusing Kejriwal of deliberately abetting bribery by asking Delhi voters to take bribe from the political parties ahead of the Feb 7 assembly elections. He contended that Kejriwal, despite himself being a former chief minister and aware that acceptance of bribe is punishable under law, instigated voters to take bribes. The lawyer sought Kejriwal's prosecution under Sections 107 (abetment), 171 B (offering or accepting bribe) and 171 E (punishment for bribery) of the Indian Penal Code.