Arvind Kejriwal and three other AAP leaders will appear before the court on August 7.

A court in Delhi has summoned as accused the Delhi chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, and three other AAP leaders in a criminal complaint filed by BJP leader Karan Singh Tanwar for allegedly defaming him, saying there are sufficient grounds to proceed against them.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal directed Mr Kejriwal and other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders -- Dilip Pandey, Surender Singh and Amanatullah Khan -- to appear before the court on August 7, and said the allegation levelled by them were "prima facie" defamatory.

Mr Tanwar has alleged that on May 19, 2016 the AAP leaders addressed a press conference and made false and defamatory insinuations against him in relation to the murder of MM Khan, a law officer of New Delhi Municipal Council, on May 16, 2016.

In its July 23 order, the court said, "Allegations of the respondents are prima facie defamatory and refers to complainant Karan Singh Tanwar making him an aggrieved person.... Therefore, in view of the aforesaid discussion there exists sufficient grounds to proceed against the respondents Arvind Kejriwal, Dilip Pandey, Surender Singh and Amanatullah Khan under section 500 (defamation) Indian Penal Code (IPC).

"Accordingly, Arvind Kejriwal, Dilip Pandey, Surender Singh and Amanatullah Khan are summoned for commission of offence of defamation under section 500 of the IPC."

Mr Tanwar said he had denied all the charges on May 21, 2016 in a press conference. However, the AAP leaders repeated the same allegations again and again, he said.