Court rejects Delhi Deputy CM Parvesh Verma’s defamation complaint against AAP’s Saurabh Bhardwaj
A Delhi court has dismissed a defamation complaint filed by Deputy Chief Minister Parvesh Verma against AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj. The judge ruled that the social media remarks in question were framed as questions rather than defamatory statements.
Why it matters
This ruling clarifies the legal boundaries of political discourse and social media criticism within the Indian judicial system.
A court on Saturday (October 10, 2026) dismissed a criminal defamation plea filed by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Parvesh Verma against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bhardwaj with regard to the latter’s remarks on social media in a sexual assault case involving a minor.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Neha Mittal of a Rouse Avenue court declined to take cognisance of the complaint, holding that the statements made by Mr. Bhardwaj were framed as questions and did not constitute defamation.
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