NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party leaders Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai were directed by a trial court on Tuesday to respond to a contempt plea seeking action against them for their statements on the court order sending Arvind Kejriwal to judicial custody.

The court issued notices on the plea filed by advocate Pankaj Mendiratta, who alleged that the AAP leaders had made "contemptuous statements" suggesting that the court process in the defamation case against Kejriwal was "not judicious and in accordance with law but was a result of change in political scenario". Metropolitan magistrate Gomati Manocha has fixed the matter for further hearing on July 11.

Mendiratta's plea filed through advocate Tarun Goomber alleged that Sisodia and Rai have cast "serious aspersions upon the independence of the court giving an impression that the order passed by this court was an aftereffect of change in government at the Centre thereby undermining and scandalizing the judicial process."

The petitioner also alleged that on May 21, when Kejriwal was remanded in judicial custody, he had seen and heard some "contemptuous statements" by Sisodia and Rai.

The petitioner also claimed that Sisodia and Rai have "clearly conveyed that the courts are not independent and the change in the attitude of the court is at the behest of change in political scenario".

Former Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal was sent to judicial custody by a magistrate on May 21 for two days. On May 23, his custody was extended by 14 days till June 6 after he refused to furnish a bail bond when he was granted bail in the case.

The contemnors (Sisodia and Rai) through their statements tried to convey to the people that the administration of justice is weak and is in the hands of the ruling government," the petition claimed, adding that, these statements have brought the court into "disrepute" and "disrespect."

The magistrate had refused to review its May 21 order remanding Kejriwal in judicial custody for not furnishing the bail bond and had asked him to approach the higher court. Kejriwal was earlier summoned as an accused by the court in the defamation complaint in which Gadkari had alleged that he was defamed by the AAP leader, who had included his name in the party's list of "India's most corrupt".