Parvesh Verma Defamation Case: Court Issues Notice to AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj
Rouse Avenue Court issues notice to AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj over a revision petition filed by Parvesh Verma in a defamation dispute.
The legal battle between Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj has taken a new turn. A Rouse Avenue Court has issued a notice to Bharadwaj following a revision petition filed by Verma regarding a defamation complaint that was previously dismissed.
The Legal Turnaround
Special Judge Ruby Neeraj Kumar issued the notice to Saurabh Bharadwaj on November 5, directing that the respondent be informed through all permissible modes. This move comes as a challenge to an earlier decision made by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM), who had declined to take cognisance of Verma's complaint.
The session court has now listed the matter for a response on November 28. The judge ordered that the necessary steps for serving the notice be completed within one week.
The Root of the Conflict
The dispute centers on a series of social media posts made by Saurabh Bharadwaj in May 2026. These posts, shared across X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook, concerned an incident at S S Mota Singh Public School, a private institution in West Delhi.
The incident at the school was linked to a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Parvesh Verma alleged that Bharadwaj’s posts unfairly dragged his name into the controversy, causing significant damage to the reputation of both him and his family.
The Allegations in Question
Represented by senior advocate Sacchin Puri, Parvesh Verma claimed that Bharadwaj made several false assertions, including:
- That Verma was providing assistance to an accused individual in the POCSO case.
- That the trust managing the school belonged to Verma.
- That Verma had appointed a specific person to the trust.
- That Verma had caused the trust's official files to disappear.
Verma strongly denied these claims, stating that neither he nor his family has any connection to the school or the trust, nor did he have any role in any appointments within the organization.
Impact on Reputation
During his statement to the court, Verma highlighted the personal and political toll of the posts. He mentioned that friends and party workers had forwarded the social media content to him via WhatsApp, and two acquaintances had explicitly told him they believed he was involved in the school incident.
Verma emphasized his standing as a four-time election contestant with a longstanding political reputation. He further alleged that despite receiving a legal notice, Bharadwaj neither contacted him nor offered an apology.
The Previous Court Ruling
On October 10, ACJM Neha Mittal had originally dismissed the criminal defamation complaint. The magistrate refused to take cognisance of the case, observing that the statements made by Saurabh Bharadwaj were framed as questions and, therefore, did not amount to defamation.
In legal terms, when a magistrate refuses cognisance, the complaint effectively ends at the threshold, meaning no summons are issued to the accused and no formal trial begins. It is this specific dismissal that Parvesh Verma is now seeking to overturn through his revision petition.