New Delhi: A Delhi court on December 3 dismissed the criminal defamation complaint filed by Samata Party leader Jaya Jaitley against the editor-in-chief of Tehelka news portal Tarun Tejpal for allegedly linking her name to the Armsgate scandal.

Metropolitan magistrate Gulshan Kumar dismissed the complaint on the ground of "non- prosecution" as neither Jaitley nor her lawyers appeared for hearing in the court.

After no one from the complainant's side appeared before the court, Tejpal's counsel Meet Malhotra pleaded that the case be dismissed for non-appearance.

The court had issued summons to the news portal and its chief for allegedly displaying an article on its Website on February 26 accusing Jaitley of misusing the office and indulging in corruption.

Jaitley, in her complaint, had submitted that the statements displayed on the Website were "totally false" and denied that she misused office or indulged in corruption or has "ever received supposed arms dealers and middle-men or accepted any sum of money, including Rs 2 lakh in exchange as alleged by the portal".

Meanwhile, Jaitley's counsel Amit Nayak said that they had the impression that the case was listed for December 4 and therefore could not appear in the court on December 3.

He said an application for restoration of the criminal complaint would be filed before the court on December 4 as it was never their intention not to press the complaint.

PTI