Hearing in Vartika Singh’s complaint against Union minister Smriti Irani postponed to Monday

The hearing in a case filed by shooter Vartika Singh against Union minister Smriti Irani and two others will now take place on January 25.

The hearing in the MP-MLA court was originally scheduled for January 23, but it was postponed to January 25 as Saturday was a holiday, Vartika Singh's counsel Rohit Tripathi said.

Vartika, an international shooter, has moved a court in Sultanpur, UP accusing the Union minister and two others of demanding money to make her a member of the central women's commission.

She moved the court days after she was herself named in a police complaint.

During its proceedings on January 16, the court had fixed January 23 as the next date of hearing.

The MP-MLA court had summoned Vartika and witnesses Utkarsh Vikram, Ajit Pratap Singh, Krishna Pratap Singh and Kiran Singh for recording their statements on Saturday.

Irani's legal counsel has said the case was based on "the most bizarre and mischievous set of falsehoods" and that "political patronage" was writ large on the matter.

The shooter had alleged that people close to the minister issued her a fake letter, appointing her as a member the central women's commission, a possible reference to the National Commission for Women.

Vartika Singh alleged that Vijay Gupta and Rajnish Singh, the two alleged "aides" of the Union minister, initially demanded Rs 1 crore from her and then brought the amount down to Rs 25 lakh.

She also alleged one of the men talked to her in an obscene manner.

On November 23, however, Gupta had lodged a complaint against Vartika and another person at Musafirkhana Police Station in Amethi district, accusing them of levelling unfounded charges against him and trying to spoil his image, following which police had lodged an FIR against her.

Vartika, however, claimed the complaint was lodged after she threatened to expose corruption .