In an order dated 13 December 2022, a Delhi court dismissed the revision petition of Journalist Swati Chaturvedi seeking the quashing of summons issued against her in a 2018 defamation case filed by Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) spokesperson Tajinder Bagga.
The court dismissed Chaturvedi’s petition challenging a magisterial court order issued in May 2018 directing her to appear in a case filed by the BJP leader.
Special Judge Sudhir Kumar Sirohi while dismissing the petition observed that the complainant Tajinder bagger was appointed spokesperson of a national party, and the tweet by respondent Swati Chaturvedi regarding sexual harassment and arrest of Tajinder Bagga has “lowered the image of a public figure, and that too when he was representing of a national party.”
“Therefore no illegality has been found in the order passed by the Metropolitan Magistrate,” Judge Sirohi said.
Taking to Twitter, Alakh Alok Srivastav, the advocate appearing for the BJP leader, informed about the court ruling and tweeted, “Hearing my detailed submissions on behalf of @TajinderBagga, Patiala House Court has dismissed the revision petition filed by Swati Chaturvedi by which she had challenged the criminal defamation initiated by us against her.“She Lowered the image of a public figure”- says Court.”
Notably, Tajinder Bagga contended in his defamation suit filed in 2017 that Swati Chaturvedi harmed his reputation and defamed him by falsely claiming that he was arrested in a sexual harassment case.
His counsel, advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, claimed that the complainant was never arrested in any sexual harassment case and that journalist’s tweet damaged the complainant’s reputation.
In his original complaint dated 16/03/2017, Bagga stated that he was neither involved in the beating up of advocate Prashant Bhushan nor was he ever arrested in any case pertaining to sexual harassment. He also claimed that the said tweet was a deliberate attempt to defame him and tarnish his reputation.