Court Upholds Dismissal of Defamation Complaint Against Politician

The Rouse Avenue court has upheld the dismissal of Surajbhan Chauhan's defamation complaint against Saurabh Bhardwaj, citing a delay in filing. The court found no justifiable reason for the delay, affirming the earlier order by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate. The complaint involved unfounded allegations made in a press conference.

The Rouse Avenue court on Saturday rejected Surajbhan Chauhan's appeal against the trial court's decision to dismiss his defamation complaint against Saurabh Bhardwaj. The initial complaint was dismissed due to a delay in filing.

The special judge, Vishal Gogne, confirmed there was no legal fault in the previous ruling, which was delivered by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM). Chauhan had contested the court's February 19, 2025, decision.

Chauhan's complaint alleged Bhardwaj made false claims about an FIR involving the complainant during a press conference on September 20, 2018, and distributed these statements via social media and newspapers, tarnishing his reputation. The case was initially wrongly filed and delayed further by the pandemic.

(With inputs from agencies.)