NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has issued formal summons to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj in a massive ?5 crore civil defamation lawsuit instituted by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh.
The high-stakes legal battle is being spearheaded by a powerhouse legal team, led prominently by Advocate Surender Sinha, Senior Advocate Sacchin Puri, Advocates Praveen Kumar, Surbhi Sharma, Sarthak Gupta, Sumar Raj and Nikunj Tripathi.
Strict Court Timeline Issued
The civil suit came up for hearing before Joint Registrar (Judicial) Gagandeep Jindal, who directed that the plaint be formally registered as a suit. The Court ordered the immediate issuance of summons to Bharadwaj through all legally permissible modes.
A strict timeline has been established by the High Court for both parties:
Written Statement: Saurabh Bharadwaj must file a comprehensive written response within 30 days of receiving the summons, along with an affidavit of admission and denial of documents.
Replication: Deputy CM Parvesh Sahib Singh has been granted liberty to file his replication within 30 days thereafter. The order also notes that the plaintiff has been directed to deposit the requisite court fee within one week.
Next Hearing: The matter has been officially listed for September 7, 2026, for the completion of service, pleadings, admission/denial of documents, and the marking of exhibits.
The Root of the ?5 Crore Claim
According to court filings, Singh is seeking ?5 crore in damages regarding specific social media posts published by Bharadwaj. The plaint alleges that these posts contained false and defamatory statements concerning Singh in the context of a local school where a three-year-old girl was allegedly subjected to a sexual assault. Singh maintains that the statements are completely fabricated, malicious, and have caused severe, irreparable harm to his public reputation.
Parallel Criminal Proceedings Escalate
In addition to the civil proceedings before the High Court, the Deputy Chief Minister has launched a dual-pronged legal strategy by initiating criminal defamation proceedings against Bharadwaj at the Rouse Avenue Courts.
The criminal case recently came up for hearing before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Paras Dalal. Moving swiftly, the court has fast-tracked the matter, listing it for June 9 and June 11, 2026, for the crucial examination of the complainant, Parvesh Sahib Singh, and his witnesses.
With both civil and criminal court machineries now in full motion, this major political-legal confrontation is expected to intensify rapidly in the coming days.