A Delhi court dismissed a defamation complaint against AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj due to excessive delay, ruling the case was filed beyond the three-year limitation period without valid justification.
New Delhi: A Delhi court on Wednesday dismissed a criminal defamation complaint against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bhardwaj, citing an excessive delay in filing the case.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Neha Mittal rejected the complaint filed by BJP leader Suraj Bhan Chauhan, ruling that the alleged offence of defamation took place in September 2018, and the limitation period for filing the case was three years.
The judge observed that the complainant failed to provide valid reasons for the delay in filing the case.
“This court is of the opinion that the complainant is not entitled to the condonation of delay in filing the present complaint. Accordingly, the present application is dismissed,”
the court ruled.
ALSO READ: HC Seeks ED Evidence for Tahir Hussain’s PMLA Case Dismissal Plea in 2020 Riots
Suraj Bhan Chauhan accused Saurabh Bhardwaj of defaming him in 2018 by falsely alleging during a press conference that an FIR was lodged against him. Chauhan claimed that Bhardwaj’s statement damaged his reputation and sought legal action under criminal defamation laws.
However, as per Indian law, a defamation complaint must be filed within three years of the alleged offence. Since Chauhan approached the court much later, the magistrate ruled that the delay was unjustified and dismissed the case.
ALSO READ: Sharjeel Imam Moves Delhi High Court To Stop Release Of Movie ‘2020 Delhi’
This decision underscores the importance of adhering to legal timelines in filing defamation cases. Courts require a justifiable reason to accept complaints beyond the prescribed limitation period, and in this case, the judge found no valid grounds to grant an extension.
With the dismissal of this case, Saurabh Bhardwaj has been cleared of the defamation allegations, and the matter is now closed.
FOLLOW US FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES ON YOUTUBE
