The Supreme Court had in March this year extended its November 11, 2024 interim order of granting exemption to Union Agriculture minister, Chouhan from personal appearance before a Madhya Pradesh trial court in connection with the criminal defamation case lodged against him and two other BJP leaders of Madhya Pradesh, by Tankha.Earlier on November 11, while granting relief to Chouhan and two other BJP leaders of Madhya Pradesh — state president V D Sharma and former minister Bhupendra Singh — the apex court in its order had stayed the execution of bailable warrants against them in the defamation case filed by Tankha.The apex court was hearing the appeal filed by Chouhan against the October 25 order of the Madhya Pradesh High Court refusing to quash the defamation case against him.Tankha, in his complaint in the trial court, had said there were defamatory statements made against him in the run-up to Panchayat elections in the state in 2021.On January 20, 2024, a special court in Jabalpur decided to examine the plea filed by Tankha against the three BJP leaders under Section 500 (Punishment for defamation) of the IPC (Indian Penal Code) and summoned them.
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