The case came up for hearing in the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate. The court noted that the accused had not turned up and, in view of his absence, cancelled his bail and issued a non-bailable warrant.
The defamation case was filed against Badal by Akhand Kirtani Jatha spokesperson Rajinder Pal Singh in January 2017 for his alleged controversial statement describing the organisation as the political face of the terrorist organisation.
Advocate PIP Singh, appearing on behalf of the complainant, said the Badal’s statement was baseless and defamatory with the purpose of intentionally defaming his client and tarnishing the image of his organisation.
Badal allegedly issued the statement after Rajinder Pal Singh held a meeting with the then Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal at his house. The court ordered the police to investigate the matter. Statements of both Badal and Rajinder Pal were recorded. While Rajinder Pal stood by his complaint, Badal denied the allegations.
Later, the Chandigarh Police submitted an inquiry report in the court on November 28, 2019. It verified the authenticity of the reports, on the basis of which Rajinder filed a criminal defamation case against Badal.
PIP Singh said the case would be heard on January 9, 2026. Badal had earlier approached the high court for quashing the complaint. But the HC, in its order dated October 17, 2025, dismissed the petition. Badal had also failed to appear in the court at the last hearing