New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday issued non-bailable warrants against chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia, and Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav for failing to appear before it in a criminal defamation complaint filed in 2013 by a ticket aspirant.

The court has posted the matter for Wednesday.

In his complaint, advocate Surender Kumar Sharma had alleged that in 2013 he was approached by volunteers of AAP who had asked him to contest the Delhi Assembly elections on a party ticket. However, it was later denied to him.

On October 14, 2013, the complainant claimed that articles in leading newspapers carried “defamatory, unlawful and derogatory words used by the accused persons,” which have lowered his reputation in the bar and the society.

Opposing the complaint, the AAP leaders had submitted that cancellation or allotment of an election ticket is the prerogative of the party.

On the basis of the complaint, the trial court had earlier sought their presence. It had, however, granted bail to Mr Kejriwal, Mr Sisodia and Mr Yadav after they had appeared before it in pursuance to summonses against them.

The summonses were issued on the complaint under Sections 499, 500 (defamation), and 34 (common intention) of the IPC, with the trial court saying there was prima facie material to summon the accused.

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