Delhi court grants 4 weeks to Bansuri Swaraj to reply to Satyendar Jain's defamation complaint

A Delhi court on Tuesday granted four weeks to BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj to file her reply on an application filed by AAP leader Satyendar Jain seeking her prosecution for alleged defamation. Jain has challenged a trial court order refusing to take cognisance of his complaint against Swaraj.

Special judge Jitendra Singh, who issued notice to Swaraj on March 22, allowed her plea seeking four weeks to reply to Jain's revision petition in the matter and posted it for May 14.

The trial court dismissed on February 20 the criminal defamation complaint filed by Jain against Swaraj while refusing to take cognisance of the matter.

"Cognisance declined. Dismissed," the judge had said.

Criminal defamation carries a maximum punishment of two years of imprisonment.

Jain has alleged that Swaraj made defamatory remarks against him during an interview on a TV channel on October 5, 2023, which he claimed was watched by millions.

Swaraj, he said, falsely claimed that Rs 3 crore were recovered from his house apart from 1.8 kilograms of gold and 133 gold coins.

The remarks were made by Swaraj to defame him and gain undue political advantage, Jain said in his complaint.

Jain said Swaraj further defamed him by calling him "corrupt" and a "fraud".