Delhi court dismissed a criminal defamation case filed by Somnath Bharti’s wife against Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, providing major legal relief in the matter. She alleged Sitharaman made false claims regarding marital discord between her and Bharti recently.
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court dismissed a criminal defamation complaint lodged by Lipika Mitra, the wife of Aam Aadmi Party leader Somnath Bharti, against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Paras Dalal of Rouse Avenue Courts found no grounds to continue the case and ordered,
“The complaint stands dismissed.”
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Mitra had accused Sitharaman of “making and publishing defamatory, derogatory and libellous remarks in print and electronic media” about her and Bharti during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
She claimed that the BJP leader, for political advantage, inaccurately referenced alleged marital discord between the couple.
The court had issued notice in May 2025.
Bharti was AAP’s candidate in the New Delhi parliamentary constituency in 2024. Mitra alleged that during a press conference, Sitharaman made remarks intended to damage Bharti’s electoral prospects by referring to the couple’s past domestic issues.
Mitra said in the complaint,
“Almost like every couple, the complainant and her husband had developed certain issues and the same though unfortunately, had got blown out of proportion resulting in media trial etc but courtesy well wishers of the family, the matter was finally settled in all aspects on May 7, 2019 and since then the complainant and her husband Mr. Somnath Bharti are living happily with children, a fact which was widely reported in the media and everyone had come to know of it but during the press conference, solely with an intent to hurt the complainant and her husband solely for political gains to BJP’s candidate and political loss to the complainant’s husband during 2024 Loksabha Election, the accused spoke about the matrimonial discord of the complainant and her husband but withheld the information of their reunion and living together happily,”
The complaint contended that Sitharaman’s remarks were meant to harm Bharti’s reputation and social standing.
Somnath Bharti, who is also a lawyer, represented his wife in court. Nirmala Sitharaman was represented by advocate Zoheb Hossain.
In October of last year, the judge denied an application that sought to stop Somnath Bharti from acting as his wife’s counsel and declined Sitharaman’s request that Bharti withdraw his Vakalatnama in the case. Sitharaman had argued that, as Lipika Mitra’s husband, Bharti stood to gain personally and financially from the proceedings, and that this arrangement violated Rules 6 and 9 of the Bar Council Rules.
The judge also turned down Mitra’s request to waive the Rs. 5,000 costs imposed for her failure to appear.
The matter was subsequently scheduled for pre-summoning evidence.