‘Gullak Chori’ Remark: Delhi Court Issues Notice To Saurabh Bharadwaj, AAP MLAs On Manjinder Singh Sirsa's Complaint
Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa told the ACJM that allegations of "Gullak Chori" and rice theft levelled at a press conference had lowered his standing among the Sikh community, while Bharadwaj, hours later, repeated his rice scam allegation on X and called the case "false & frivolous"
The Rouse Avenue Court on 29 October 2026 issued notice to AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj and others at the pre-cognisance stage on a criminal defamation complaint by Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa
A Delhi Court on Thursday asked Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj and two others to respond to a criminal defamation complaint filed by Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, before deciding whether to take cognisance of it. The complaint concerns allegations of "Gullak Chori", rice theft and a scam said to have been made against Sirsa at a press conference.
The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) at Rouse Avenue Court issued notice to Bharadwaj, AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha and Kuldeep Kumar after recording the statements of Sirsa and three witnesses, Abhisek Sharma, Gurdev Singh and Gurjeet Singh. The notice was issued to give the proposed accused an opportunity to file their response to the complaint at the pre-cognisance stage. The matter is listed for hearing on 18 November.
Advocate Yogender Handoo appeared for Sirsa when his statement was recorded.
The notice does not summon Bharadwaj or the others as accused persons. Under the proviso to Section 223(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, a Magistrate cannot take cognisance of an offence on a complaint without first giving the accused an opportunity of being heard. The Court has not yet decided whether a case of criminal defamation is made out. It will do so only after considering any response filed by the proposed accused.
In his statement before the Court, Sirsa said that false allegations of "Gullak Chori" of Rs 400–450 crore, "Chawal Chori" of Rs 600 crore every month and a scam of Rs 11,000 crore were levelled against him at a press conference. He said the allegations were carried in the media and on social media, after which people associated with him began questioning him about them.
According to Sirsa, Bharadwaj had used the expression before. He told the Court, "He used the word Gullak Chor several times against him in the past also."
Sirsa laid particular weight on the term "Gullak Chori" and its connotation for a Sikh. "Gullak chori is the worst word that can be attributed to a sikh. Gullak has significance in Sikhism," he said.
He went on, "As this word, Gullak Chori, is one of the worst forms of sin that can be attributed to a person in Sikhism. Now, coupled with the false Allegations of Chawal Chori, people are questioning me about this. It is questioning the integrity of my family and me."
To establish injury to reputation, Sirsa told the Court that the allegations had altered how those close to him treated him. "People who are closely associated with me and know me very well for the past many years started avoiding and also questioning the allegations of a scam of thousands of crores. They were raising questions to me about the Allegations of me making Rs 400 crore in Gullak Chori," he said.
He added, "I have always been looked upon as a man of reputation and impeccability, and the manner in which the matter has been published and portrayed by the proposed accused injured my reputation immensely beyond repair. The false Allegations and imputations have also lowered my image and reputation worldwide, especially among the people associated with Sikhism and activities of Gurudwara."
Sirsa also told the Court that he had served a legal notice on Bharadwaj and Sanjeev Jha calling upon them to withdraw and retract the allegations publicly and to apologise publicly for harming his reputation.
Later on Thursday, Bharadwaj, who is the Delhi unit president of the AAP, repeated his allegation that Sirsa was involved in the diversion of subsidised rice. In a post on X, he shared a letter to the Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation dated 24 September 2026, and wrote: "On 24.9.2026, I had filed a supplementary complaint to CBI in 5 crore kg of subsidised Rice (meant for Delhi's poor) being stolen and sold to a pvt company causing loss to public exchequer. I have provided clinching documentary evidence of Minister Sirsa's alleged involvement in the Rice scam. His name has been mentioned multiple times by his own Dy Commisioner (FCS) Arun Jha in his written response to the Dept. That officer who as per his written reply worked on directions of his minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa was immediately been suspended , but Minister Sirsa has been continuing in this office."
Bharadwaj also referred to an earlier defamation case brought against him by another Delhi Minister. "After Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh failed in his false defamation case against me, it is the turn of Manjinder Singh Sirsa to try another false & frivolous defamation case…These Defamation cases cannot deter us from seeking accountability of BJP Govt," he wrote.
[Inputs: ANI]