Tharoor Gets Bail in Defamation Case over Scorpion Remark

NEW DELHI:
A Delhi court on Friday granted bail to senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in a defamation case filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajeev Babbar over his “scorpion” remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal asked Tharoor to furnish a personal bond of Rs 20,000. Thereafter, the court listed the matter for July 25 for recording of evidence in the case.

Tharoor has appeared before the court in pursuance of summons issued against him on April 27. The court was hearing a criminal defamation complaint against Tharoor for his comment that Modi is “a scorpion seated on a Shivling”.

Babbar filed the complaint alleging Tharoor made the statement with mala fide intention, which not only denigrated the Hindu deity but was also defamatory. Speaking at the Bangalore Literature Festival on October 28, 2018, Tharoor had said: “Modi is like a scorpion sitting on a Shivling. You cannot remove him with your hand and you cannot hit it with a ‘chappal’ (slipper) either.”