Saturday, October 22 2005 18:28 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: A local court has issued summons to Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray and Congress spokesperson and former MP Sanjay Nirupam in a defamation case filed by a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) activist regarding an article that appeared in 'Dopahar Ka Sammna' in 2003.

"Magistrate Anil Mohabe yesterday (Oct 21, 2005) issued summons to Thackeray and Nirupam asking them to remain present in the court on December nine in response to a complaint filed by NCP member Nitin Gawankar in 2003," Gawankar's advocate Indrapal Singh said.

An article had appeared in 'Dopahar Ka Sammna' on May 5, 2003, allegedly making derogatory remarks against Gawankar.

Thackeray is the Editor of the daily while Nirupam was then the Executive Editor of the Hindi daily.

Singh said, "The article alleged that Gawankar threatened people using the name of NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal". Hence, Gawankar filed a defamation suit before the magistrate on September 5, 2003.

Before leaving Sena and joining Congress, Nirupam had filed an intervening application stating that he alone should be made responsible for the article since he was the Executive Editor of the daily.

Gawankar's lawyer said that the court clarified that Thackeray's name cannot be dropped and issued summons to the Sena supremo.