The Delhi High Court directed Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit to re-file his defamation suit against AAP leaders Atishi and Sanjay Singh. The court denied him additional time to pay the required court fees. Dikshit had sought Rs.10 crore in damages over alleged defamatory remarks made during a press conference before the Delhi elections. The case will proceed once the filing is completed.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court directed Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit to re-file his defamation lawsuit against AAP leaders Atishi and Sanjay Singh after denying his request for additional time to pay the court fees.
Dikshit’s counsel asked Justice Purushaindra Kaurav for a two-week extension to arrange the fees, citing the “significant amount.”
The judge noted that the previous hearing had already been postponed to allow Dikshit time to pay the fees for his Rs.10 crore claim, and he rejected the lawsuit at this stage.
The judge stated,
“You file a fresh suit. The matter can’t be kept pending,”
He emphasized,
“Looking at the nature of the controversy, the court finds that until the plaintiff pays the court fees, the court will not be able to proceed,”
Then allowed Dikshit the option to re-file the suit after settling the fees.
Dikshit, who ran against former chief minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi Assembly elections from the New Delhi constituency, initially filed the lawsuit in January, seeking Rs.10 crore in damages for alleged defamatory statements made by the AAP leaders.
During a press conference before the elections, Atishi and Sanjay Singh accused Dikshit of collaborating with the BJP to undermine AAP’s campaign, claims Dikshit contends are baseless and damaging to his reputation.
Additionally, Dikshit has filed a criminal defamation complaint against Atishi and Sanjay Singh, which is scheduled for a hearing on February 19.
A trial court had previously issued notices to the two AAP leaders regarding the complaint, which alleges that they “deliberately” harmed Dikshit’s goodwill.
The defamation complaint was filed under Section 356 of the BNS, 2023, which deals with offenses related to defamation. Dikshit claims that the defamatory statements made by Atishi and Sanjay Singh were intended to harm his reputation and the reputation of the Indian National Congress.
The complaint also mentions that the defamatory statements were widely circulated, both on social media and in national newspapers, further damaging the complainant’s public image.
As per the legal notice sent on January 2, 2025, the defamatory tweet continues to remain online, despite the legal action being initiated against the accused.
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