Noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani on Wednesday called Finance Minister Arun Jaitley a crook during the cross examination in DDCA defamation case. The use of word ‘crook’ for a senior cabinet minister in the Narendra Modi government resulted in an ugly scene.

This resulted in an utter chaos inside the court room, but Jethmalani stuck to his statement.

Jaitley accused Jethmalani of calling him ‘crook’ at the behest of Delhi chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, his client.

The veteran lawyer said that Jaitley was guilty of ‘deceiving the people’ and had concealed his crime and crookery.”

Jethmalani added, “I’m entitled to prove that Arun Jaitley is a crook.”

Jaitley’s lawyer continued to heckle Jathmalani as he grilled Jaitley prompting him to say, “Stop objecting to each and everything. Seems you haven’t done any cross examination in your life.”

According to Bar and Bench’s reporter, Jaitley lost his cool at one point and said, “There is a limit to personal malice.”

The matter has now been listed for 28 July and 31 July.

Here are some highlights:

Jethmalani says, ‘I’m not intimidated by anybody.’

Arun Jaitley’s lawyer attempts to raise his voice nearly intimidating Jethmalani.

Jethmalani to Jaitley’s lawyer: I’m asking questions to show that Arun Jaitley has no reputation. In a defamation suit it’s important to put forth such points.

Jethmalani to Jaitley’s lawyer: It’s a suit for defamation and whether he is entitled for Rs 10 crore or even Rs 10 is under question.

Jaitley to Jethmalani: You have personal interest in the case and are using it to malign me. You have led a life of personal malice.

Jaitley’s lawyers quote section 151 and 152 of Indian Evidence act to try and stop Jethmalani from using news article as proof.

Jaitley has filed a Rs 10 crore civil defamation suit in the High Court against Kejriwal and five other AAP leaders – Raghav Chadha, Kumar Vishwas, Ashutosh, Sanjay Singh and Deepak Bajpai – for accusing him of financial irregularities in Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) of which he was the president for about 13 years till 2013.