Politics · India Bureau
Delhi court dismisses defamation complaint by minister against AAP leader
A Delhi court has rejected a criminal defamation case filed by Delhi minister Parvesh Verma against Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj. The court found that the statements in question constituted questions rather than defamatory remarks.
LSN India ·
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Neha Mittal dismissed the complaint on Saturday, ruling that the imputations attributed to Bharadwaj did not meet the legal threshold for defamation charges. The magistrate determined that the nature of Bharadwaj's statements amounted to queries rather than false and damaging assertions. A detailed written order is expected in the coming days.
Verma had approached the court alleging that Bharadwaj published malicious and false content on social media platforms. The minister claimed that Bharadwaj's posts, which linked him to a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act case connected to an incident at a school in Verma's former constituency of West Delhi, caused serious harm to his reputation and standing.
The dismissal marks another chapter in an ongoing dispute between the two leaders. The friction between Verma and Bharadwaj intensified following an incident in the Vikaspuri area, where Verma slapped an AAP supporter during a road inspection after expressing displeasure over the quality of public works. Both leaders have since levelled accusations against each other on multiple occasions.