Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president and former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday sought exemption from personal appearance in an eight-year-old defamation case pending before a Chandigarh district court.
The matter was scheduled for hearing before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Sonali Singh. Badal's counsel, Rajesh Kumar Rai, filed an application seeking exemption from appearance, citing an important party meeting related to the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections.
The application stated that Badal, as the party president, was required to attend the meeting, which was expected to be attended by candidates travelling from different parts of Punjab. It added that his absence could leave party workers who had travelled long distances without any outcome.
The counsel also referred to a strike by the local bar association on Friday, stating that lawyers would not be appearing in court.
Badal assured the court that he would appear on the next scheduled date. The application stated that his absence was due to unavoidable circumstances and was not intentional.
The case dates back to 2017, when Rajinder Pal Singh, spokesperson for the Akhand Kirtani Jatha and a resident of Mohali, filed a defamation complaint against Sukhbir Badal in the Chandigarh district court under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
According to the complaint, on January 4, 2017, Badal made a statement to the media after then Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal visited Rajinder Pal Singh's residence.
The complainant alleged that Badal described the Akhand Kirtani Jatha as the political wing of the banned terrorist organisation Babbar Khalsa International.
Rajinder Pal Singh claimed that the statement damaged the organisation's image and reputation.
The case has witnessed several developments over the years.
On December 17, 2025, Badal failed to appear before the court despite an order requiring his presence. Following this, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Rahul Garg cancelled his bail and issued non-bailable warrants against him.
Badal subsequently appeared before the court and was granted bail again.
He had also approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking to quash the defamation case. However, the High Court dismissed his petition, following which the proceedings continued in the Chandigarh district court.
Badal had also sought exemption from personal appearance during a hearing on February 2, 2026.
At that time, he cited an important party meeting in Amritsar, stating that party workers had travelled from distant areas and would have to return without any outcome if he could not attend.
He had assured the court that he would appear on the next scheduled date.
The defamation case continues to remain pending before the Chandigarh district court.
