New Delhi, Jan 20 (IANS): The Delhi High Court on Friday stayed trial court proceedings against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson and media relations in-charge Harish Khurana in a defamation case filed by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

Khurana had moved to court seeking the stay.

On January 5, the HC stayed the proceedings before a trial court in the defamation case that Sisodia had filed against BJP leaders Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Hans Raj Hans.

Sisodia sued Sirsa, Hans and other BJP leaders, including Manoj Tiwari and Vijender Gupta after they claimed that he was implicated in a corruption fraud involving approximately Rs 2,000 crore relating to the construction of new classrooms in Delhi's government schools.

Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma had also issued notice on the pleas put up by the two BJP leaders opposing the trial court's summoning order dated November 28, 2019.

The court had listed Sirsa's and Hans' matter for the next hearing on March 10.

A request for discharge in the same case by the BJP leaders was rejected by the lower court in December 2022.

Appearing for the BJP leaders, senior advocates Pawan Narang and Kirti Uppal had said that Vijender Gupta, one of the summoned individuals, had filed a petition before the Supreme Court for relief in response to the same summoning order.

In light of the apex court's ruling that Gupta's tweet does not constitute defamation, they noted, the case against Hans and Sirsa also required consideration and analysis.

The court had issued a notice to Sisodia after hearing from the senior advocates.

In 2019, Sisodia sued six BJP leaders for defamation.