Jailed AAP leader found guilty of defamation, ordered to pay Rs 1 lakh in compensation

Jailed AAP leader found guilty of defamation, ordered to pay Rs 1 lakh in compensation

A Lucknow court has ruled in favour of former Uttar Pradesh Jal Shakti minister Mahendra Singh in a defamation case against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP and Uttar Pradesh in-charge, Sanjay Singh. The court, headed by civil judge Kamalkant Gupta, has directed Sanjay Singh to pay Rs 1 lakh in compensation to the plaintiff.

The case revolves around allegations made by Singh during a press conference in August 2021, where he accused Mahendra Singh of corruption in the Jal Jeevan Mission Yojna. The court’s order mandates the removal of video footage and social media posts containing defamatory language against the former minister.

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As per the order of the court, the AAP MP on August 8, 2021 held a press conference in Lucknow and made “false, fallacious, baseless” allegations and remarks against the former UP minister and the BJP “only to gain cheap publicity and political mileage”. The video feed of the press conference was broadcast on TV channels and later posted on social media platforms. The BJP leader alleged that Sanjay Singh had during the press conference referred to him as “corrupted”, “Natwarlal”, and “paani chor,” The Indian Express reported.

The court highlighted the importance of responsible use of freedom of speech, stating, “The Indian Constitution ensures freedom of speech to every citizen, but it also imposes reasonable restrictions on the use of this right.”

Notably, the court proceeded ex-parte as Sanjay Singh failed to appear despite summons. During the press conference, Singh alleged that contracts worth thousands of crores in the Jal Jeevan mission were awarded to a company with a “tainted image.”

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Upon examination of the evidence, the court concluded that Sanjay Singh’s statements were “defamatory”, with allegations “proven false in a police investigation.” The judgment acknowledged the potential malicious intent but noted Singh’s haste and negligence in making categorical remarks.

“In view of this court, an unsubstantiated false charge for corruption is defamatory enough for filing a civil action,” the judge stated.

“In the present case, the statements are categorically defamatory. The evidence of Prosecution Witness-3 and Prosecution Witness-4 shows how the same had lowered the esteem of the plaintiff in their eyes, though the same was later restored. The evidence on record stands unrebutted. There is nothing on record to disbelieve the same,” The Indian Express quoted court as saying.

Mahendra Singh’s complaint highlighted that the allegations were “made in thin air” and lacked merit, intending to “belittle his respectable image in public life.”

As per the petition filed by Mahendra Singh, Sanjay Singh “falsely alleged that the plaintiff has done corruption to the tune of Rs 30,000 crore in the Jal Jeevan Mission Yojna along with the other officers of his department”.