Defamation Case: Delhi Court Grants Exemption to Wrestler Bajrang Punia

The Patiala House Court in Delhi has granted an exemption to Wrestler Bajrang Punia through his lawyer, allowing him to skip a summons in a defamation case. Punia, who is currently in Kyrgyzstan for the upcoming Asian Games and training sessions, was issued the summons. Metropolitan Magistrate Yashdeep Chahal acknowledged the submission and exempted Bajrang Punia from appearing in person. The court scheduled the next hearing for October 17, 2023.
Earlier, on August 3, 2023, the Patiala House Court had issued a summons to Olympic medalist wrestler Bajrang Punia in a defamation case filed by Wrestling coach Naresh Dahiya. During the recent hearing, Bajrang Punia’s lawyer presented a letter from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) confirming that Punia and his coach Sujeet Maan had been sent to Kyrgyzstan for a training camp on September 13, 2023, in preparation for the upcoming Asian Games. The wrestling events at the Aslan Games are scheduled to take place from October 4th to October 7th, 2023.
It’s worth noting that during the previous court hearing, Bajrang Punia was also absent due to health reasons, and the court had granted him exemption for that day only.
The complainant and coach, Naresh Dahiya, had filed a criminal defamation complaint, alleging that Bajrang Punia had made defamatory remarks against him during a press conference at Jantar Mantar on May 10, 2023.
The court had previously noted that the accused, Bajrang Punia, had mentioned an ongoing rape case against Naresh Dahiya in his remarks. However, during the witness recording, Naresh Dahiya had clarified that he had been acquitted in the said rape case in 2019, a fact known to the accused as well.
Metropolitan Magistrate Yashdeep Chahal, when issuing the summons for Bajrang Punia, expressed a prima facie view that the elements of defamation had been established. The court believed that the statement made in the press conference was driven by malicious intent and not made in good faith, leading to the summoning of Bajrang Punia under Section 499 read with Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code.
The court clarified that at the summoning stage, it is not required to analyze the possible defenses that may be raised by the accused.
Advocates Sudhir Nagar, Ashish Tanwar, Rajesh Rexwal, and Ravinder Singh, representing complainant Naresh Dahiya, argued that Bajrang Punia’s attack on the complainant’s reputation and credibility was malicious and intended to discourage him from supporting the then WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh during a protest.