Delhi Court Dismisses Defamation Case Against Sitharaman
Judge says no grounds to proceed in complaint by Somnath Bharti’s wife
- Delhi court rejects defamation plea against Nirmala Sitharaman
- Complaint filed by Lipika Mitra dismissed
- Court finds no basis to take cognisance
- Case related to remarks made during 2024 election campaign
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 2nd April: A Delhi court has dismissed a criminal defamation complaint filed against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, ruling that there were no sufficient grounds to proceed in the matter.
The complaint had been filed by Lipika Mitra, wife of former AAP MLA Somnath Bharti, alleging that Sitharaman made defamatory statements about her marital life during a press conference in May 2024 ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Paras Dalal of the Rouse Avenue Court declined to take cognisance of the allegations, stating, “I do not see anything in this matter to proceed further.”
The complainant had argued that the remarks were widely circulated across television and digital platforms with the intent to harm Bharti’s public image and electoral prospects as a candidate of the INDIA bloc from the New Delhi constituency.
Mitra also claimed that the statements caused reputational damage and mental distress, and sought directions for summoning Sitharaman, restraining further comments, and removal of the alleged content from public platforms.
The plea invoked provisions related to defamation under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
However, after examining the material on record, the court held that the case did not meet the legal threshold required for proceeding with defamation charges and dismissed the complaint.
