The Delhi High Court has recently refused to stay the proceedings before a trial court against BJP National Secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa in a criminal defamation case lodged by a former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) President Manjit Singh GK. 

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma pronounced the order on January 24. He said that prima facie, there is no infirmity in the order passed by the magistrate summoning Sirsa or the order of the sessions court dismissing a revision petition lodged by the BJP leader against the magistrate order. 

The Delhi High Court therefore concluded that there is no reason to stay the proceedings before the trial court. The court stated that it has found that the learned ASJ has examined in detail, the issue of registration of FIR in relation to letter dated 04.04.2016 and simultaneous proceedings in the present complaint case for commission of offence of defamation. It added that at this stage, the high court does not find any reasons to stay proceedings in the present complaint case. 

Earlier on June 30, 2023, the magistrate court had issued summons to BJP National Secretary Sirsa as well as Harmeet Singh Kalka and Jagdeep Singh Kahlon for allegedly making defamatory statements against Manjeet Singh GK.

In the complaint, Manjit Singh had alleged that Sirsa and others co-accused made allegations that Singh was involved in the siphoning off and misappropriation of DSGMC funds. Furthermore, Sirsa and others also allegedly called Manjit Singh a golak chor, meaning thief of money donated to gurudwara and kalankit pradhan, meaning stigmatised president.

Senior Advocate N Hariharan along with advocates Jasprit Singh Rai, Yoginder Handoo and Ashwin Kataria appeared for Manjinder Singh Sirsa. Additional Public Prosecutor Manoj Pant represented the state and Senior Advocate Mohit Mathur with advocates Naginder Benipal, Sumit Misra and Mayank Sharma appeared for complainant Manjit Singh GK.

A Delhi court on Wednesday sought an action-taken report from the Delhi Police over a case filed against actor Kangana Ranaut by Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) chief Manjinder Singh Sirsa over her tweets regarding the farmers’ protest

Metropolitan Magistrate Amardeep Kaur directed the police to file status report and slated the matter for further hearing on April 24.

Sirsa filed a plea under Section 156(3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure seeking action against Ranaut saying the social media posts of the actor intended to outrage religious sentiments.

The plea filed through Advocates Raj Kamal, Aseem Athwal and Kartawya Batra further stated that Ranaut by publishing the said tweet has attempted to misuse the huge social media following for oblique motives and vested interest for political mileage by defaming the peaceful protest and agitation by the farmers thereby causing an atmosphere of communal disharmony.

“…such an act of the Respondent No. 2 (Kangana Ranaut) is meant to create a divide in the society and is a clear example of a “Hate Speech/Tweet” that needs to be addressed and explained before the fake, derogatory and imaginary tweet/ retweet on social media which may further cause prejudice to the farmers in their peaceful agitation and protest as ordained under the constitutional rights,” the plea said.

The plea said that Ranaut’s tweets targeting the peacefully protesting farmers and labeling them as “Khalistani terrorists”
and “Biryani Gang” has maligned and defamed the image of farmers in India before the whole world.

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“…the Respondent No. 2 has not expressed any apology or clarification! regarding the abovementioned tweet published by her on her twitter handle and has even failed to deny the said statement and unfortunately it has been read over by millions of people, not only in India, but worldwide,” it said.

“From the above, it is clear that the Respondent No. 2 by publishing the abovementioned “Hate Tweets” has committed offences under section 153A, 153B, 295A and 505(1)(b) of the IPC r/w section 66 of the I.T. Act, causing a widespread distress, animosity, and communal discord against a particular community of the society,” the plea said.

A Delhi court on Friday recorded the statements of two witnesses in a criminal defamation case filed by Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain against Shiromani Akali Dal leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa.

Jain has alleged that Sirsa accused him of circulating huge amounts of illegal money within the party.

Charanjeet Singh, an AAP supporter, today told Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vishal Pahuja, “A news article published in Dainik Jagran quoted Sirsa as having claimed that Jain had accepted Rs seven crore as bribe. Later, when I confronted  Jain he said that it was a politically motivated news against him.”

Another witness Ashish Kumar also recorded his statement in the court and will be examined Sirsa’s lawyer on March 24.

If convicted, the offence of defamation entails a maximum punishment of two years.