Former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and SAD chief Sukhbir Badal has reached a settlement with the complainant religious organization in a nine-year-old defamation case. In January 2017, Rajinder Pal Singh, a spokesperson for the Akhand Kirtani Jatha, had filed a defamation suit against Sukhbir in the Chandigarh District Court.
Sukhbir had approached courts ranging from the Punjab and Haryana High Court to the Supreme Court to have the complaint quashed but failed to secure any relief; the Supreme Court had dismissed his plea just last month.
Subsequently, a hearing for the case took place in the Chandigarh District Court on August 31. During the proceedings, Sukhbir’s counsel informed the court that a settlement had been reached between the two parties and that the case would be withdrawn at the next hearing. However, as the counsel for the complainant was unaware of this development, the court scheduled the next hearing for September 17. If a written record of the settlement with the complainant is presented by then, Sukhbir could secure significant relief.
The Case Details
On January 4, 2017—prior to the Punjab Assembly elections—former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal visited Rajinder Pal Singh’s residence. Following this meeting, Sukhbir Badal made a controversial statement to the media regarding the *Jatha* (organization).
Sukhbir Badal had described the *Jatha* as the political face of a terrorist organization. In response, Rajinder Pal Singh filed a defamation case against Badal in the Chandigarh District Court, alleging that Badal’s statement had tarnished his organization’s image.
