The allegations made by CM Atishi and Sanjay Singh during a press conference on December 26, 2024, in New Delhi. Sandeep Dikshit, who is contesting the Delhi Assembly elections against AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, claims that the accusations made by the two leaders were defamatory.
New Delhi, January 27: A defamation complaint filed by former Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit against Delhi Chief Minister (CM) Atishi and AAP MP Sanjay Singh has been scheduled for pre-cognizance arguments in the Rouse Avenue Court.
The court will hear the case on February 6, 2025.
The allegations made by CM Atishi and Sanjay Singh during a press conference on December 26, 2024, in New Delhi.
Sandeep Dikshit, who is contesting the Delhi Assembly elections against AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, claims that the accusations made by the two leaders were defamatory.
Sandeep Dikshit has filed the complaint through his lawyer Sarim Naved. According to the complaint, Atishi and Sanjay Singh accused Dikshit and the Indian National Congress (INC) of collaborating with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to defeat AAP in the Delhi elections.
Specifically, they alleged that Dikshit had accepted “crores of rupees” from the BJP, and that the INC was working with the BJP with the aim of weakening AAP’s position in the election.
The complaint further states that these allegations were made without providing any evidence to support the claims. The two AAP leaders allegedly targeted Dikshit and INC in a press conference, which was broadcasted live and later shared by CM Atishi on her official X (formerly Twitter) account with the caption, “BJP is helping Congress in the Delhi election.”
The tweet gained significant attention, with over 30,000 views. This, Dikshit argues, contributed to spreading defamatory information about him and the Congress party.
During the hearing, Advocate Rajat Bhardwaj, representing CM Atishi and AAP MP Sanjay Singh, informed the court that he had received a copy of the defamation complaint. However, some parts of the document were not clear, and the court directed Sandeep Dikshit’s counsel to provide legible copies of the documents.
Additionally, Sandeep Dikshit’s lawyer mentioned that if the accused retract their allegations, he might reconsider prosecuting them.
On January 16, 2025, the Rouse Avenue Court had issued notices to CM Atishi and Sanjay Singh, giving them the opportunity to be heard before taking cognizance of the complaint. The case has been listed for arguments on February 6, 2025.
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.
The Rouse Avenue Court will hear the arguments on February 6, 2025, to determine whether the defamation case will proceed to trial. The court’s decision will depend on the arguments presented by both parties, and whether the allegations made by Atishi and Sanjay Singh are deemed defamatory under the law.
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