Punjab Election 2022: Chandigarh DSP moves criminal defamation suit against Navjot Singh Sidhu

Chandel through advocate Dr Surya Parkash in the court of UT chief judicial magistrate Aman Inder Singh in District Courts, Sector 43 filed a criminal defamation petition against Sidhu, saying that the latter had failed to tender an unconditional apology over his derogatory remarks about police during a 2021 rally.

Just a couple of days ahead of Punjab Assembly election, Chandigarh police DSP Dilsher Singh Chandel on Friday moved a criminal defamation plea against Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu for his comments on police personnel.

Chandel through advocate Dr Surya Parkash in the court of UT chief judicial magistrate Aman Inder Singh in District Courts, Sector 43 filed a criminal defamation petition against Sidhu, saying that the latter had failed to tender an unconditional apology over his derogatory remarks about police during a 2021 rally.

Earlier, DSP Chandel had slapped a defamation notice against Sidhu seeking a public apology for his comments on December 27 last year. Chandel joined Chandigarh police as an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) in 1989 and is attached with Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) of Chandigarh police.

In the plea, DSP Chandel stated, “Four copies of the notice were sent on the (alternative addresses) of Navjot Singh Sidhu. Two of them have been returned “unclaimed” with note on the said legal notices, “Navjot Singh Sidhu is not here, please don’t send” and two have been served upon the Respondent/Accused.”

According to a report on The Indian Express, the four addresses on which notices were served included Punjab Congress Bhawan, Madhya Marg, Sector 15A Chandigarh, Holy City, Shri Amritsar Sahib (Punjab), Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, Yadavindra Colony, Mall Road, Patiala, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, Humayun Road, New Delhi.

Sidhu was addressing a political rally in Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district on December 18 in which he bragged about Congress MLA Navtej Singh Cheema. He said that Navtej was so strong that “he could make a police officer wet in his pants and that party workers should be like Navtej.” A video clip of the comments had gone viral attracting criticism from netizens.