Former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry has filed a defamation lawsuit against Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad. The lawsuit stems from remarks made by Prasad on August 1, 2024, in which he reportedly described Chaudhry as “the biggest crook” and accused him of hiding $2 million in Australia.
Chaudhry asserts that these statements are false and harmful, intended to depict him as a criminal who conceals assets overseas. Prasad further claimed that donations from residents of Haryana, India, were made to assist in relocating Chaudhry’s family for their safety in light of their precarious situation in Fiji.
Additionally, Prasad mentioned that between November 2000 and April 2002, Chaudhry received funds transferred through the Indian Consul General Office in Sydney into his Commonwealth Bank of Australia account.
Chaudhry is seeking compensation for damages, arguing that Prasad was aware of the truth of the matter at the time he made his remarks, and that he chose to speak falsely. Despite receiving a formal notice from Chaudhry’s legal counsel on August 12, 2024, Prasad has not retracted his statements.
The court has yet to schedule a date for the hearing of the case.