The Delhi HC has summoned AAP’s Saurabh Bharadwaj in a defamation suit by Deputy CM Parvesh Sahib Singh. Singh seeks Rs 5 crore in damages for social media posts related to a school sexual assault case, which he claims are false and defamatory.
Delhi High Court Issues Summons in Civil Suit
The Delhi High Court has issued summons to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj in a civil defamation suit instituted by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh. The suit came up before Joint Registrar (Judicial) Gagandeep Jindal on May 25, 2026.
The Court directed that the plaint be registered as a suit and ordered the issuance of summons to the defendant through all permissible modes. The matter has been listed on September 7, 2026, for completion of service, pleadings, admission and denial of documents, and marking of exhibits.
The Court directed Bharadwaj to file a written statement within 30 days of receipt of the summons, along with an affidavit of admission and denial of documents. Singh has been granted liberty to file a replication within 30 days thereafter.
The order also records that the plaintiff has been directed to deposit the requisite court fee within one week.
Details of the Defamation Claim
According to the suit, Singh has sought damages of Rs 5 crore in relation to certain social media posts published by Bharadwaj.
The plaint alleges that the posts contained statements concerning Singh in the context of a school where a three-year-old girl was allegedly subjected to sexual assault. Singh has claimed that the statements are false and defamatory and have caused harm to his reputation.
The suit seeks damages as well as other consequential reliefs.
Separate Criminal Proceedings Initiated
Apart from the civil proceedings before the High Court, Singh has also initiated criminal defamation proceedings against Bharadwaj.
The criminal defamation case came up for hearing before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Paras Dalal of the Rouse Avenue Courts on May 22. The Court has listed the matter for examination of the complainant, Parvesh Sahib Singh, and witnesses on June 9 and June 11.
Senior Advocate Sacchin Puri, along with advocates Praveen Kumar, Surbhi Sharma, Sarthak Gupta, Surender Sinha, Sumar Raj and Nikunj Tripathi, appeared on behalf of Singh. (ANI)
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