New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday recorded his statement in a Delhi court in a criminal defamation complaint filed by him against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and five other AAP leaders. Mr. Jaitley accused them of making false statements against him and his family members. Mr. Jaitley told Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sanjay Khanagwal that Mr. Kejriwal has falsely stated that money was siphoned off and I was the beneficiary.

According to court sources, Mr. Jaitley said that statements have been made to deflect attention from CBI probe against a particular person who is working with the Delhi Chief Minister. Mr. Jaitley appeared before the court amidst tight security. Only the advocates were allowed to attend the closed-door proceedings.

Jaitley had on December 21 filed criminal defamation case against Kejriwal and five other AAP leaders — Kumar Vishwas, Ashutosh, Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chadha and Deepak Bajpai — for allegedly defaming him.

Jaitley had said defamatory statements have been made orally and through Twitter handle of the AAP leaders which have been carried by electronic and print media from December 15 to December 20.