‘Defamatory remarks’: Rinku sends legal notice to Channi

Jalandhar: Former AAP MP and now BJP leader Sushil Rinku has sent a legal notice to former chief minister and Jalandhar MP Charanajit Singh Channi for allegedly levelling false allegations against him while campaigning for Jalandhar West byelection.
Rinku’s counsel has sent the notice under Section 356 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, pleading for damages of Rs 5 crore.
The notice sent by Rinku’s counsel Pershant Kumaar Sareen said that Channi, during a meeting, raised serious allegations against Rinku that he had been engaged in drug peddling, lotteries, gambling, robbing, theft and snatching.
The notice said the allegations were false and baseless. “The allegations made by you are completely fabricated as my client had never indulged in such activities, nor had he ever been booked under law for the commission of alleged crimes,” the notice reads.
Mentioning that these defamatory allegations tarnished Rinku’s image and also caused him mental agony, the notice called upon Channi to pay Rinku Rs 5 crore by way of damages, while also informing him that Rinku was going to file a complaint against him under the new code of law, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, on account of mental tension, agony, pain and loss suffered by him.
Rinku released the legal notice during a press conference. While responding to queries from the media, he said, “During my tenure as the Congress MLA from Jalandhar West, lottery business (illegal) was operational in my constituency. I can’t disclose the names of those who were providing cover to it. They were very close to me and I had to suffer electoral loss due to this reason. Sheetal Angural made lotteries and betting issues during 2022 assembly polls.”
He said: “Since AAP came into power, the lottery and betting businesses in Jalandhar West have ceased to operate openly, although they may still be occurring surreptitiously. Angural also staged a dharna against the problem of drugs in his area. Now what is being said about illegal business is baseless.” He added that tough laws should be made against it.
Responding to another query from media, he said proofs against those who were patronizing illegal activities in Jalandhar would be given to the media on Monday.