Delhi court rejects Parvesh Verma’s defamation complaint

A Rouse Avenue court declined to proceed with Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Parvesh Verma’s criminal complaint against AAP politician Saurabh Bhardwaj. The judge treated the disputed posts as questions rather than defamation.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Neha Mittal issued the decision on October 10, 2026. The Hindu and LiveLaw reported that she refused to take cognisance of the complaint because Bhardwaj’s statements were framed as questions.

Verma had alleged that his opponent distributed false and malicious material on X, Instagram and Facebook. His complaint linked those posts to discussion of a case under POCSO, the law protecting children from sexual offences.

According to Verma’s account, Bhardwaj implied that he had used political influence to benefit school officials connected with that case. Verma claimed damage to his own reputation and his family’s reputation. Those assertions represented the complainant’s position.

The ruling addresses the defamation complaint. It does not establish the facts of the separate POCSO case or substantiate allegations that political influence was used.