A local court has issued orders to summon former Speaker Rana KP Singh to face trial in a case filed by father of Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains on charges of defamation.

Sub divisional Judicial Magistrate Jagmilap Singh Khushdil in his order stated that prima-facie a case punishable under Sections 500 and 506 of the IPC is made out against the accused, in view of the evidence led by the complainant at pre-summoning stage.

The minister’s father Sohan Singh in the complaint had alleged that when his son Harjot Singh Bains, a practicing advocate, was contesting the elections from Anandpur Sahib Assembly constituency, Kanwar Pal Singh Rana, belonging to the Congress party and contesting from the same constituency used defamatory words against his son in a public meeting on February 2 last year at Dasgrain village.