The Supreme Court of India closed all defamation proceedings against Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan after Congress MP Vivek Tankha withdrew both civil and criminal cases. The court recorded an amicable settlement, bringing an end to the long-running dispute linked to the 2021 Madhya Pradesh Panchayat elections.
The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday closed all pending defamation cases against Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan after Congress MP Vivek Tankha withdrew both the civil defamation suit and the criminal complaint filed against him.
A Bench of Justice M M Sundresh and Justice N K Singh recorded that the dispute between the two leaders had been settled amicably and disposed of Chouhan’s petition seeking quashing of the criminal defamation case. With this order, all litigation between the parties came to an end.
The dispute began in 2021 during the Panchayat elections in Madhya Pradesh. At that time, Vivek Tankha, appearing as a senior advocate, had argued a case before the Supreme Court concerning the conduct of Panchayat elections and reservation for Other Backward Classes.
Tankha later alleged that BJP leaders, including Shivraj Singh Chouhan, had made public statements wrongly suggesting that the Supreme Court had stayed the elections because of Tankha’s opposition to OBC reservation.
According to Tankha, these statements misrepresented the Supreme Court’s interim orders and damaged his public image. He claimed that the remarks led to public criticism and backlash against him. On this basis, Tankha filed both civil and criminal defamation proceedings against Chouhan.
The civil suit sought damages of Rs. 10 crore, while the criminal complaint was filed under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code.
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Chouhan challenged the criminal defamation case before the Supreme Court, arguing that the prosecution was unnecessary and that the issue had been given a political colour even though it arose from judicial proceedings.
During the hearing on Tuesday, Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, appearing for Chouhan, informed the Court that the dispute had been resolved peacefully. He told the Bench that the settlement had been reached in Parliament and that Vivek Tankha had agreed to withdraw both the civil defamation suit and the criminal complaint as part of the settlement.
Taking note of these submissions and the formal withdrawal of cases by Tankha, the Supreme Court observed that no useful purpose would be served by keeping the criminal defamation proceedings pending. The Bench therefore disposed of Chouhan’s petition and formally closed the case.
With the complainant having withdrawn all allegations, the Supreme Court’s order effectively ends the defamation litigation against Shivraj Singh Chouhan arising from the 2021 Panchayat elections controversy.
The matter had earlier come before the Supreme Court in July 2025, when the Bench had encouraged both sides to explore the possibility of a settlement. At that time, the Court had observed that political disputes arising out of public statements should not be allowed to prolong criminal litigation when an amicable resolution is possible.
In March 2025, the Supreme Court had also exempted Shivraj Singh Chouhan from personal appearance before the trial court while hearing his challenge to the criminal defamation proceedings.
With the withdrawal of both the civil and criminal cases by Vivek Tankha, the Supreme Court’s order brings complete finality to the dispute. No defamation proceedings now remain pending against Shivraj Singh Chouhan in relation to the statements made during the 2021 Panchayat elections.
Case Title:
Shivraj Singh Chouhan v. Vivek Tankha
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