Court dismisses Delhi Deputy CM Parvesh Verma’s defamation complaint against AAP’s Saurabh Bhardwaj

Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma. File | Photo credit: Sushil Kumar Verma

A court on Saturday (October 10, 2026) dismissed a criminal defamation case filed by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Parvesh Verma against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bhardwaj over his social media remarks in the sexual assault case of a minor.

Additional Senior Judge Neha Mittal of the Rouse Avenue court refused to take cognizance of the complaint, saying Mr Bhardwaj’s statements were framed as questions and did not amount to defamation.

“In a democracy, it is not only the right of the press and the public to question the government, it is also the duty of the government and elected officials to occasionally listen to opinions that differ from their own,” the court said, dismissing the defamation case.

The tweets and videos posted by the proposed accused were in the nature of questions asked to criticize the government and not to defame anyone, he added.

“These statements were mere repetition of information already published by Amarjit Singh Baboo on social media platform (Mr. Bhardwaj raised questions on social media regarding alleged appointment of Amarjit Singh Baboo as Trustee of SS Mota Singh School ​Trust, alleged missing case and file of POC ​d how Trust. three-year-old girl) and therefore cannot be said to have been made with an intention to defame the complainant,” he said court.

In his plea, Mr. Verma accused the AAP leader of posting allegedly false and malicious content on social media platforms, including X, Instagram and Facebook. He alleged that Mr. Bhardwaj had hinted that he (Mr. Verma) had used his political influence in favor of school officials in connection with a case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act. The allegations damaged his personal reputation and that of his family, Mr. Verma said in his complaint.

Published – 10 Oct 2026 18:51 IST