Archive · 21 Aug 2026
Supreme Court Rejects Badal Plea in AKJ Defamation Case
The Supreme Court decided that a defamation case against Sukhbir Singh Badal should continue.
The case is about comments allegedly made during the 2017 Punjab election campaign.
Badal was accused of linking the Akhand Kirtani Jatha, or AKJ, to Babbar Khalsa International.
Rajinder Pal Singh said the comments hurt his reputation.
Badal’s lawyer said Badal never called Singh the AKJ’s spokesperson.
The lawyer also questioned whether newspaper reports were enough evidence.
A judge said the complaint materials appeared to identify Singh as the spokesperson.
The Supreme Court therefore dismissed Badal’s request to stop the case.
This decision does not itself determine whether Badal is guilty of defamation.
The Supreme Court dismissed Sukhbir Singh Badal’s petition seeking to quash criminal defamation proceedings.
The case concerns alleged remarks linking the Akhand Kirtani Jatha to Babbar Khalsa International.
Rajinder Pal Singh, associated with the AKJ, filed the defamation complaint against Badal.
Badal’s lawyer argued that newspaper reports were insufficient and that Singh lacked authorization to represent the AKJ.
The Court relied on complaint materials and newspaper reports before rejecting Badal’s plea.
- Who
- Sukhbir Singh Badal, Rajinder Pal Singh, the Akhand Kirtani Jatha, and the Supreme Court.
- What
- The Supreme Court dismissed Badal’s petition to quash criminal defamation proceedings over alleged AKJ-BKI remarks.
- When
- The alleged remarks were made during the 2017 Punjab Assembly election campaign; the Supreme Court ruling was reported on Friday.
- Where
- The case involved proceedings in Chandigarh and appeals through the Punjab and Haryana High Court and Supreme Court.
- Why
- Rajinder Pal Singh alleged that Badal’s remarks damaged his reputation by associating him and the AKJ with Babbar Khalsa International.
Badal’s arguments
Complainant and Court’s position
Meaning of the remarks
Badal’s arguments
Badal’s lawyer said Badal never described Rajinder Pal Singh as the AKJ’s spokesperson and argued that the statements were based on reporters’ accounts.
Complainant and Court’s position
The complaint alleged that Badal called the AKJ the political front of Babbar Khalsa International and referred to Singh as its spokesperson.
Use of newspaper reports
Badal’s arguments
Kapil Sibal argued that journalists whose reports were cited had not been examined and that the reports should not be used to attribute statements to Badal.
Complainant and Court’s position
Justice Dipankar Datta referred to the newspaper reports and other material in the complaint, saying they indicated that Badal had recognized Singh as the spokesperson.
Authority to file the complaint
Badal’s arguments
Badal’s counsel questioned whether Singh had authorization to represent the Akhand Kirtani Jatha.
Complainant and Court’s position
Singh, who is associated with the AKJ, pursued the complaint, and the Supreme Court rejected Badal’s request to quash the proceedings.
- Case
- Sukhbir Singh Badal v. Rajinder Pal Singh
- Supreme Court bench
- Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu
- Complaint
- Criminal defamation complaint filed by Rajinder Pal Singh
- Alleged statement
- The AKJ was described as the “political front” of Babbar Khalsa International
- Earlier proceedings
- A Chandigarh magistrate summoned Badal, and the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed his challenge in October 2025
- Badal’s counsel
- Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal
- Organizations involved
- Akhand Kirtani Jatha and Babbar Khalsa International