Today, the Rouse Avenue Court issued notices to Delhi Chief Minister Atishi Marlena and AAP Member of Parliament Sanjay Singh in response to a defamation complaint filed by former Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit.

Dikshit, who is contesting the Delhi State Assembly election against former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi constituency, has alleged that defamatory remarks were made against him. The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM), Paras Dalal, issued the notices, scheduled for January 27, 2025, to provide the accused an opportunity to respond before the court takes cognizance of the complaint.

The case pertains to Section 223 read with Section 222(1) of BNSS, 2023, which involves the summoning, trying, and punishing of individuals accused of offenses under Section 356 and Section 3(5) of BNS, 2023.

Sandeep Dikshit’s complaint, filed through his lawyer Sarim Naved, claims that the accused organized a press conference on December 26, 2024, in New Delhi, during which defamatory allegations were made against both him and the Indian National Congress (INC), the political party he represents. The complaint alleges that the accused accused Dikshit of accepting "crores of rupees" from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and of conspiring with the BJP to defeat the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The complaint further asserts that these allegations were made without providing any substantial evidence. It also states that Atishi, with Sanjay Singh's approval, accused both the complainant and the INC of collaborating with the BJP to harm AAP's chances. The complaint alleges that this defamatory act was part of a broader effort to tarnish Dikshit's reputation.

Additionally, CM Atishi reportedly shared the live broadcast of the press conference through her X handle on the same day, with the caption, "BJP is helping Congress in the Delhi election." The complaint contends that these actions were part of a deliberate attempt to harm Dikshit's reputation, constituting defamation under Section 356 of BNS, 2023.

Despite a legal notice sent on January 2, 2025, the defamatory tweet remains available on platform X, the complaint claims.