Delhi court dismisses defamation plea against AAP’s Saurabh Bhardwaj

A Delhi court on Saturday dismissed a plea filed by a BJP leader seeking the prosecution of AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj for alleged defamatory remarks in September 2018.

Special Judge Vishal Gogne rejected the petition filed by BJP leader Suraj Bhan Chauhan, challenging an earlier trial court order that had dismissed his complaint against Bhardwaj.

Chauhan had alleged Bhardwaj defamed him by falsely claiming at a press conference that an FIR had been lodged against him.

“The criminal revision petition is dismissed,” the judge said.

The complaint was initially filed before the Rouse Avenue court in December 2024.

However, a magisterial court had dismissed Chauhan’s plea on February 19, citing that the alleged offence occurred in September 2018, and the three-year limitation period for filing a defamation complaint had already lapsed.

The magistrate ruled that none of the reasons presented by Chauhan justified condoning the delay in filing the complaint.

“The complainant is not entitled to the condonation of delay in filing the present complaint. Accordingly, the present application is dismissed,” the court held.

Following this, Chauhan had appealed against the magisterial court’s order, which has now been rejected.