The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a notice to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal in response to a criminal revision petition filed by Emaan Singh Mann challenging a Chandigarh court’s dismissal of his defamation complaint against the two AAP leaders.The high court has sought a response from the chief minister and the minister by May 3.
Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya passed the order after hearing arguments from Emaan Singh Mann’s counsel, Abhaypal Singh Gill and Bhagoti Singh. The case stems from a press conference held on July 29, 2022, where the AAP leaders allegedly accused Emaan Singh Mann of illegally encroaching on 125 acres of land.The chief judicial magistrate had dismissed Emaan Singh Mann’s complaint, citing the AAP leaders’ reliance on an alleged official report that formed the basis of their statements. The trial court ruled that the remarks were made in public interest and thus fell under exceptions to defamation under section 499 of the Indian Penal Code.In his petition, Emaan Singh Mann has argued that the trial court misapplied the law and failed to consider key aspects of the case. He contends that the court wrongly applied exceptions to defamation, particularly regarding truth and public interest.
He has also claimed that the statements made at the press conference were not merely reporting but direct accusations, which damaged his reputation. According to him, the trial court ignored crucial land records that could have disproved the encroachment allegations.Furthermore, he asserts that the two AAP leaders were not summoned despite a prima facie case being made out and that the court overlooked the political context of the remarks, which he believes were driven by malice, especially after his father Simranjit Singh Mann won a parliamentary bypoll against the AAP in Sangrur, the chief minister’s home turf, in June 2022