Allahabad HC Dismisses Shooter Vartika Singh’s Defamation Plea Against Smriti Irani

GG News Bureau
Prayagraj, 12th March. The Allahabad High Court has rejected the defamation complaint filed by international shooter Vartika Singh against Union Minister Smriti Irani. The complaint challenged an order from an MP/MLA court that previously dismissed Singh’s allegations of defamation against Irani.

In its verdict uploaded on Monday, the Lucknow bench of the high court, presided over by Justice Faiz Alam Khan, stated that referring to Singh’s association with the Congress party or the “Gandhi family” during responses to journalists’ inquiries did not constitute defamation.

Singh had initially lodged a defamation case against Irani in the Sultanpur MP/MLA court, alleging defamation. However, the special court dismissed the case on October 21, 2022. Subsequently, Singh challenged this decision in the Allahabad High Court.

The crux of Singh’s allegation was centered on Irani’s remarks to journalists regarding allegations made by Singh against Irani’s personal secretary. Irani referred to Singh as a “pawn” of the Congress and claimed that Singh had direct connections with the Gandhi family.

The high court, after examining Irani’s entire conversation with journalists, concluded that Irani’s statements did not specifically name Singh until prompted. Furthermore, the court noted that Irani’s remarks primarily criticized the political party and did not aim to defame Singh personally. Additionally, the court highlighted the existence of criminal cases against Singh, which Irani had mentioned during her statements.

In light of these factors, the Allahabad High Court ruled that Irani’s comments did not amount to defamation against Singh.