Overview

• Chief Judicial Magistrate A A Kulkarni permitted the withdrawal under CrPC Section 257, leading to Malik’s acquittal under IPC Section 500.
• Kamboj told the court he could not attend daily hearings and affirmed his decision was voluntary with no coercion involved.
• The defamation claim sprang from Malik’s 2021 press conference remarks during the NCB raid on a Mumbai cruise ship, which Kamboj said damaged his and his brother-in-law’s reputations.
• Under Section 257, a complainant may withdraw a complaint before a final order if the magistrate is satisfied with the grounds, resulting in automatic acquittal.
• An earlier related defamation case by the complainant was withdrawn in 2022 after multiple hearings were adjourned due to his absence.