[Defamation Suit] Delhi HC Directs Shazia Ilmi To Deliver Copies To Rajdeep Sardesai and India Today

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Synopsis

The controversy arose last month after Shazia Ilmi participated in a debate on India Today concerning the Agniveer scheme. During the debate, she abruptly exited, claiming that her microphone had been deliberately turned off to silence her. 

On Friday, the Delhi High Court issued a notice to Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shazia Ilmi, instructing her to serve copies of her defamation petition to Journalist Rajdeep Sardesai and the India Today group.

Ilmi had filed the defamation suit following the circulation of a video on the social media platform X Corp, in which Sardesai allegedly accused her of verbally abusing a video journalist from India Today during a televised debate.

The bench of Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora presided over the matter and set the next hearing date for August 13. The court further instructed Sardesai and India Today to present the contentious video as evidence.

Following the incident, Ilmi expressed her dissatisfaction on X, addressing Sardesai and India Today, while defending her dignity. Ilmi also rebuked the video journalist, describing him as a ‘pervert’ for continuing to record her despite her visible physical and emotional discomfort after the debate had concluded.

In response, Sardesai tweeted that Ilmi's actions—ejecting the video journalist and allegedly abusing him—were inappropriate, asserting that the journalist was simply fulfilling his professional duties.

Case Title: Shazia Ilmi v Rajdeep Sardesai & Ors