Chaitanya Sharma, a former MLA from Gagret in Himachal Pradesh's Una district, has filed a criminal defamation case against a contractor for accusing him and two others of cheating.

Addressing a press conference in Gagret, Sharma said he has filed a criminal defamation case against Surendra Kumar who should be booked for offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

On November 18, police filed a case of cheating and criminal conspiracy against Sharma based on a complaint lodged by Kumar accusing the BJP leader of cheating to the tune of Rs 8 lakh on the pretext of securing work in the Public Works Department (PWD).

In his complaint, the builder alleged that Sharma's aides, Mahesh Yadav and Harshit Tiwari, got him to deposit Rs 6 lakh in an account besides taking Rs 2 lakh in cash from him for securing a contract in the PWD.

However, he did not get the contract nor was the money refunded, Kumar claimed.

Responding to the charges, Sharma said, "I did not receive any money and no amount was deposited in any of my accounts. I don't even know the person in whose account the money was supposedly deposited. If someone took money (for securing a contract), action should be taken against that person as per the law." "This is a political conspiracy against me, but I will fight against it," he added.

Sharma was among six Congress MLAs who along with three Independents voted in favour of BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha elections held in February this year. Later, he joined the BJP and unsuccessfully contested the Assembly bypoll in Gagret necessitated by his disqualification from the Congress.