The Supreme Court on August 21, 2026, dismissed former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s plea seeking to quash criminal defamation proceedings arising from remarks allegedly linking the Akhand Kirtani Jatha (AKJ) with Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).
A Bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Sheel Nagu declined to interfere with the proceedings against Badal.
Background of the Case
The dispute dates back to the 2017 Punjab Assembly election campaign. The complaint was filed by Rajinder Pal Singh, who claimed to be associated with AKJ and its spokesperson.
Singh alleged that after then Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal visited his residence, Badal made statements to the media describing AKJ as a “political front” of BKI and referring to Singh as its spokesperson.
A Chandigarh Magistrate summoned Badal in March 2020 under Sections 500 and 501 of the Indian Penal Code. Badal later approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking quashing of the complaint and summoning order. The High Court rejected his plea in October 2025.
Supreme Court Hearing
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Badal, questioned the reliance placed on newspaper reports and argued that journalists who reported the alleged statements had not been examined.
“This is reporting. Reporters are saying that I said. Your Lordships should not stretch this and put this in my mouth,” Sibal submitted.
The Bench, however, referred to the material placed with the complaint. Justice Datta noted that the material indicated Badal had referred to Singh as AKJ’s spokesperson.
“The difficulty is you recognise him and say he is the spokesperson,” Justice Datta remarked.
Decision
The Supreme Court ultimately dismissed Badal’s plea, leaving the criminal defamation proceedings pending before the trial court.
Case Details
Case Title: Sukhbir Singh Badal v. Rajinder Pal Singh
Case Number: Diary No. 35327-2026
Judge: Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Sheel Nagu
Decision Date: August 21, 2026
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