New Delhi, May 23 (H.S.): A court at Rouse Avenue Court on Friday reserved its order on whether to take cognisance of the criminal defamation complaint filed by former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain against BJP MLA Karnail Singh. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Paras Dalal directed that the order will be pronounced on May 29.

In his complaint, Jain alleged that Karnail Singh made defamatory remarks against him during an interview with a news channel on January 19, 2025. Karnail Singh had contested the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections as the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from the Shakur Basti constituency.

According to Jain’s petition, Karnail Singh claimed during the interview that the Enforcement Directorate had recovered 37 kilograms of gold from Jain’s residence. Singh had also alleged that Jain owned 1,100 acres of land and had amassed enormous wealth through corrupt means.

The plea stated that the allegations made by Karnail Singh were fabricated and false. Jain contended that the statements were intended to tarnish his reputation, lower his dignity, and defame him in the eyes of the public.

Earlier, the magistrate court had taken cognisance of Jain’s criminal defamation complaint. However, Karnail Singh challenged that order before a sessions court. On April 30, the sessions court set aside the magistrate court’s order, observing that cognisance had been taken without adequately considering the legal exceptions applicable in defamation cases.

The sessions court subsequently directed the magistrate court to reconsider the matter afresh after examining those exceptions before passing a fresh order.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar