Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-04 19:56:07|Editor: ying

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NEW DELHI, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Delhi High Court Monday imposed a fine of 78 U.S. dollars on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as cost over his delay in filing reply to a fresh defamation suit filed by India's federal minister Arun Jaitley.

The court directed Kejriwal to deposit the fine in the Army Welfare Fund Battle Casualties.

Earlier, the court slapped him with a fine of 156 U.S. dollars in the case.

Jaitley, India's finance minister has filed a 1.5 million U.S. dollars defamation suit against Kejriwal objecting to the use of a derogatory word by Kejriwal's former lawyer, Ram Jethmalani in court.

During a cross-examination of Jaitley by Jethmalani before joint registrar in the Delhi High Court on May 17, Jethmalani had used the term "crook" to which the senior ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) leader took offence and filed a civil defamation case.

The high court had sought response of Kejriwal on why defamation proceedings should not be initiated against him.

"The court has now fixed the matter for October 12," an official said.

Kejriwal and his party leaders had accused Jaitley of corruption during his tenure as president of the Delhi Cricket Association, a post which he had held from 2000 to 2013.

Jaitley, who denied all the allegations levelled by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in December 2015, had filed a civil defamation suit seeking damages to tune of 1.5 million U.S. dollars from Kejriwal and five other AAP leaders, claiming their statements and allegations have maligned his reputation.