Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi will appear in a local court on January 18 in response to a court notice sent to him on the defamation case filed by Himanta Biswa Sarma.
A defamation case was filed by former Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma against Gogoi’s reported comment alleging that he (Sarma) was involved in corruption, a government release said on Wednesday.
Gogoi had reportedly made a statement charging Sarma of “indulging in corrupt” practices in the Sharada ponzi scheme scam and Louis Berger case, it said. Sarma had lead a dissidence movement against Gogoi in 2014. He had filed the Rs 100-crore defamation case in the Civil Judge No 1 Court here. Recently inducted into BJP, Sarma had told reporters that he had filed the defamation case against Gogoi for making “false” allegations against him.
“Recently Chief Minister Gogoi has been saying things against me. Sometimes he says I am an accused in the Sarada Ponzi case and Louis Berger case. He has also said that there are criminal cases against me”, the former minister said.
“As these accusations have been going on against me, I filed the Rs 100-crore defamation case. Let Gogoi show in court there are criminal cases against me as I don’t know if there is any case against me. Investigations will show if I am an accused,” he had said. On the legal action, Gogoi had said “I am very happy. I urge him (Sarma) to hasten the legal action against me. It is very good for me. I want to go to jail as soon as possible.” (PTI)
