Parvesh Sahib Singh files Rs 5 crore defamation suit against AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh has filed civil and criminal defamation suits against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj, seeking Rs 5 crore in damages. The legal proceedings, initiated at the Delhi High Court and a city magistrate court, follow social media posts by Bharadwaj that allegedly accused Singh of misusing his official position in connection with a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case.

On May 20, Singh filed his criminal defamation complaint before a Delhi magistrate court, targeting tweets published by Bharadwaj on May 15 and 16. Following the filing, the magistrate court on May 22 fixed the matter for the examination of Singh and his witnesses, scheduling the hearings for June 9 and June 11.

In his complaint, Singh argued that Bharadwaj falsely accused him of using his ministerial power to appoint an associate as a trustee in a private school trust valued at nearly Rs 500 crore. The social media posts also alleged that Singh exercised influence to protect employees of the school who are currently accused in a POCSO case. Singh is seeking prosecution against Bharadwaj under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Simultaneously, Singh approached the Delhi High Court with a civil defamation suit, demanding Rs 5 crore in damages. The civil suit was listed before Judicial-side Joint Registrar Gagandeep Jindal on May 25, who subsequently issued summons to the AAP leader.

According to the civil suit, Singh claimed the posts on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, were published with the intent to harm his reputation in the eyes of the public, media, and society. He alleged that Bharadwaj contrived a connection between him and the school trust appointee for political benefit and cheap publicity, with wilful disregard for the facts.

The legal dispute comes as the AAP Delhi unit chief already faces separate criminal contempt proceedings before the Delhi High Court in connection with the excise policy case.