In a significant legal development, a Delhi court on Tuesday dismissed a criminal defamation complaint lodged by BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. The complaint accused Tharoor of making derogatory remarks during the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Paras Dalal ruled that there were “no ingredients of defamation” present prima facie to warrant the summoning of Tharoor. The complaint stemmed from Tharoor’s comments made on national television, wherein he allegedly accused Chandrasekhar of bribing voters in the Thiruvananthapuram constituency.
According to Chandrasekhar, Tharoor’s accusations were intended to tarnish his reputation and influence the election outcome. The BJP leader claimed that these statements, which were also disseminated through various news channels and social media platforms, directly contributed to his electoral loss.
Despite the dismissal of the criminal complaint, the legal battle between the two prominent politicians continues. In a related case, the Delhi High Court has taken a different stance by summoning Tharoor to respond to a defamation suit. Here, Chandrasekhar is seeking Rs 10 crore in damages for the alleged defamation and resultant loss of reputation.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav of the Delhi High Court has scheduled a hearing for April 28, directing the registration of the plaint as a suit and issuing summons to Tharoor.
