New Delhi, April 19 (IANS): A court here Saturday warned former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and three AAP leaders that "coercive process" would be initiated against them if they fail to appear on the next date of hearing in a defamation case.

Metropolitan Magistrate Sunil Kumar Sharma posted the matter for hearing May 24 and said: "Ensure that everybody is present on the next date (of hearing) otherwise I will initiate coercive process."

The court was hearing a defamation suit filed against Kejriwal and others by Communications Minister Kapil Sibal's son Amit, following a May 15, 2013 press conference of Kejriwal in which he alleged conflict of interest, saying Sibal had appeared in the Supreme Court for telecom firm Vodafone while his father was the communications minister.

The court allowed the exemption plea of Kejriwal and three AAP leaders, Manish Sisodia, Prashant Bhushan and Shazia Ilmi, sought on the ground they were busy campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls.

But, it warned them and told their counsel, Rahul Mehra, that he should ensure that they appear before him on the next date of hearing.

The court also imposed a cost of Rs.2,500 each on Sisodia, Bhushan and Ilmi after they failed to appear in court.