Punjab and Haryana High Court: Adjourn case against Sukhbir Badal beyond March 23

Chandigarh, January 18

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the trial court to adjourn a defamation case against Punjab’s former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal beyond March 23 — the next date of hearing before the Bench.

The direction by Justice Jaishree Thakur came after advocate RS Dhaliwal, appearing before the Bench on behalf of respondent-complainant Rajinder Pal Singh, sought time to file a reply. A spokesperson for religious organisation Rajinder Pal Singh had filed a complaint alleging defamation and other offences.

Sukhbir, through senior advocate Ashok Aggarwal and counsel HS Brar, was seeking quashing the complaint. Directions were also been sought for quashing the summoning orders and non-bailable warrants. Brar, in the petition, submitted the complaint under Sections 499, 500, 501 and 502 of the 1PC, dated January 31, 2017, and the subsequent orders, were an abuse of the process of law. — TNS