New Delhi

A Delhi court on Wednesday dismissed a criminal defamation complaint filed against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman by the wife of former AAP MLA Somnath Bharti.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Paras Dalal, while passing the order, said there was no sufficient ground to proceed in the matter and declined to take cognisance of the complaint, effectively dismissing it. The detailed order is yet to be made public.

The complaint had been filed by Lipika Mitra, who alleged that Sitharaman made false, malicious and defamatory remarks during a press conference on May 17, 2024. According to the plea, the statements were intended to damage Bharti’s reputation and adversely affect his electoral prospects in the Lok Sabha elections.

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It was further claimed that the remarks were made with the aim of causing personal harm to both the complainant and her husband, while benefiting the BJP politically during the election period.