Senior Sub-judge and Chief Judicial Magistrate, Shimla, A S Jaswal, has issued summons to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Congress leaders Motilal Vora and Anand Sharma in a defamation suit filed against them by acting Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Prem Kumar Dhumal.

The three Congress leaders have been asked to appear before the court on March 15.

Satya Pal Jain, senior advocate of Dhumal, said the court had summoned them under section 500 of the Indian Penal Code.

Amarinder Singh and Vora had allegedly made defamatory statements against Dhumal at a public meeting in Hamirpur on January 18.

They had alleged that the complainant had acquired properties in Punjab worth Rs25 crore by resorting to 'unfair and crooked means'.

Anand Sharma had repeated the allegations at a press conference in Barog on February 3.

After examining several witnesses, the judge said he was satisfied that there was sufficient evidence to prove that the three persons had made 'false and baseless' allegations against the complainant with a view to get political mileage in the forthcoming assembly elections.

"Amarinder Singh had first made allegations of corruption against former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and got away with it. But in this case he will not succeed. Kaath ki handiya bar bar nahin chada karti [same tricks do not pay dividends twice]. I am sure the people of Himachal Pradesh will give a fitting reply to the allegations made by the Congress leaders..." he said.