New Delhi, Apr 19 (IANS): A court here on Thursday discharged Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and suspended BJP parliamentarian Kirti Azad in a criminal defamation complaint filed by the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) and its then Vice-President Chetan Chauhan.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal allowed Kejriwal's application for discharge, saying that there was not an iota of evidence that the DDCA or any official were personally defamed by his statement.

Chauhan, in February 2016, filed a defamation case against Kejriwal and Azad and accused them of defaming the cricket body by passing "scandalous" remarks.

Referring to Kejriwal's interview to a news channel wherein he allegedly said that sexual favours were sought for selecting players, the complainant alleged that "false" charges were levelled against the cricket association.

The plea claimed that Kejriwal's "false" statements were immediately endorsed and repeated by Azad.

The complainant said the accused (Kejriwal and Azad) had severely damaged the credibility and reputation of the complainant (DDCA) in the eyes of thousands of cricket lovers and citizens of India as well as internationally.