The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in response to a petition filed by BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar, challenging the dismissal of his defamation complaint related to statements allegedly made during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Justice Ravinder Dudeja observed that the matter “required consideration” and issued notice on Chandrasekhar’s revision petition against a February 4 order of a magisterial court that had refused to summon Tharoor.
The complaint stems from allegations made by Tharoor on national television, where he reportedly accused Chandrasekhar of bribing voters in the Thiruvananthapuram constituency during the last general elections. Chandrasekhar, in his plea, contended that the statements were “false” and “derogatory,” made with the intent to damage his reputation and influence the outcome of the elections.
Senior counsel for Chandrasekhar argued that the magistrate had overlooked key evidence and erred in concluding that no case of defamation was made out. The magisterial court, presided over by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Paras Dalal, had held on February 4 that the complaint did not prima facie disclose the essential ingredients of defamation and refused to issue summons to Tharoor.
The high court has listed the matter for further hearing on September 16, 2025.
