On Thursday, a Delhi court exempted wrestler Bajrang Punia from personal appearance in a criminal defamation suit filed against him by wrestling coach Naresh Dahiya.
Punia was granted the respite by Metropolitan Magistrate Yashdeep Chahal after his lawyer informed the court that he had been to Kyrgyzstan for practise sessions and the upcoming Asian games.
The judge had previously granted him a day's exemption from personal attendance on September 6 on medical grounds after his counsel stated that he had a fever.
On August 3, the judge ordered Punia to appear in court on September 6, stating that he was of the "prima facie" opinion that all elements of defamation were proven against the wrestler.
Dahiya claims Punia, along with other wrestlers/people, made defamatory remarks about him at a press conference at Jantar Mantar on May 10 during a protest against the outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's alleged sexual harassment of some female wrestlers.
(With PTI inputs)
