New Delhi, October 17 (H.S.): The Sessions Court at Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court has deferred its verdict until October 28 on a petition challenging a magistrate court’s order to take cognisance of a criminal defamation complaint filed by former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain against BJP MLA Karnail Singh.

Special Judge Ruby Neeraj Kumar directed that the verdict be pronounced on October 28.

During the hearing, advocates Rajat Bhardwaj and Tushar Garg, appearing on behalf of Satyendar Jain, submitted that they had received a copy of the petition only on July 27, 2026, and requested additional time to file their response. The court subsequently directed them to submit their reply by August 7, 2026. On July 3, 2026, the court had issued notice to Jain on Karnail Singh’s petition challenging the magistrate court’s order.

On May 29, 2026, the magistrate court had taken cognisance of the criminal defamation complaint filed by former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain against BJP MLA Karnail Singh. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Paras Dalal had ordered the issuance of summons directing Singh to appear before the court on June 6, 2026. Karnail Singh subsequently challenged that order before the Sessions Court.

In his complaint before the magistrate court, Satyendar Jain alleged that Karnail Singh had made defamatory remarks about him during an interview with a news channel on January 19, 2025. Singh had contested the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections as the BJP candidate from the Shakur Basti constituency.

According to Jain’s complaint, Singh claimed during the interview that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had recovered 37 kilograms of gold from Jain’s residence. Singh also allegedly claimed that Jain owned 1,100 acres of land in his name and had amassed substantial wealth through corruption.

Jain’s complaint maintained that these allegations were fabricated and false. He alleged that Singh had made the statements with the intention of undermining his dignity and damaging his reputation in the eyes of the public.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar