Assam CM appears before court in defamation case

Guwahati

Once a trusted lieutenant of Mr Gogoi and influential minister in the state, Sharma had quit the Congress earlier last year after falling out with Mr Gogoi and joined the BJP.

Mr Gogoi, who is a lawyer, pleaded for himself before the court. Talking to reporters after the hearing, the Chief Minister said  he had decided to appear in person in response to a notice served on  him.

He said, "I have come to appear in person before the court  as a common citizen who has tremendous respect and faith on the judiciary." He said the counsel of Dr Sharma had sought an injunction from the court barring Mr Gogoi from making any public allegation against the BJP leader.

However, the court issued no such injunction and fixed the next date of hearing on February 8, Mr Gogoi informed. A large number of Congress ministers, leaders and workers, including state party president and the CM's MP son, accompanied Mr Gogoi to the court premise as a show of solidarity.

A Rs 100 crore civil defamation case has been filed by Dr Sharma on basis on a report in a leading English daily of the state, which quoted Mr Gogoi of accusing Dr Sharma of being involved in several scams, including in Sharada chit fund and Louis Berger bribery scams.

Meanwhile, Dr Sharma tweeted, "Today law has forced Tarun Gogoi to appear before the honourable court. In April, we will force him to appear in the people's court and pay for the misdeeds."