Rafale deal: Anil Ambani to withdraw defamation suits against Congress, National Herald

New Delhi: Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group will withdraw the defamation suit filed against Congress and newspaper National Herald. The Rs 5,000-crore civil defamation suits were filed by Anil Ambani’s Reliance in an Ahmedabad Court against Congress leaders and Herald journalists over their statements and articles published regarding the controversial Rafale jet deal . The complainant’s lawyer Rasesh Parikh told the news agency PTI that “we have intimated the defendants that we are going to withdraw the suits against them”. PS Champaneri, the lawyer defending the National Herald and some other defendants said he was told by Reliance Group’s counsel that the case was withdrawn on his client’s instructions. The process to formally withdraw the case will be taken up when the court resumes after summer vacation. "We believe that the defamatory statements by certain individuals and corporate bodies with regard to the offset agreement between Reliance Group and Dassault Aviation were made for political purposes in the run up to the Lok Sabha election 2019 that have concluded on Sunday, 19 May, 2019. Besides, the subject matter is pending for adjudication before the Hon'ble Supreme Court,” Anil Ambani Reliance Group said in a statement. “Therefore, the Group has decided to withdraw the defamation suits filed by it against these individuals and corporate bodies," the statement added. Congress president Rahul Gandhi repeatedly alleged that Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) was instrumental in landing an offset contract worth Rs 30,000 crore for the Reliance group as part of the deal to buy 36 fighter aircrafts from France. Anil Ambani’s companies Reliance Defence, Reliance Infrastructure and Reliance Aerostructure had filed defamation suits against Congress leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala, Ommen Chandy, Ashok Chavan, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Sanjay Nirpuram and Shaktisinh Gohil, Sunil Jakhar, and some journalists in the National Herald. The complaintaints said that the defendants made "libelous and derogatory statements" against the Reliance Group and its chairman Anil Ambani in the the Rafale fighter jet deal. The suits were also filed against the Herald's editor Zafar Agha, and journalist Vishwadeepak. Source: Times Now