Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji

Panaji, Sep 30: A local court in Goa on Monday issued an interim order restraining Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh from making any statements defaming BJP leader Sulakshana Sawant, wife of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, both publicly and on social media, until her ongoing defamation suit is decided.

Sulakshana Sawant had filed a special civil suit in 2024, alleging that Singh made defamatory remarks during a press conference, claiming her involvement in a “cash-for-jobs scam” in Goa. She sought an injunction against Singh and Rs 100 crore in damages, also requesting that the AAP leader be barred from sharing videos or transcripts of the press conference online.

In her interim order, ad hoc Civil Judge Senior Division and JMFC Anuradha Andrade directed that “the defendant himself or through his associates, representatives, supporters, agents or any other person acting through him are restrained from making public statements maligning the image of the plaintiff… on social media or other platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube, [and] Twitter” until the case is decided on merits.

The alleged scam, investigated by Goa Police, involved over 34 FIRs and multiple arrests. Hundreds were reportedly lured into paying large sums for promised government jobs, allegedly facilitated through the connections of the accused. In December 2024, Singh claimed that Pramod Sawant, his wife Sulakshana, and other BJP MLAs were linked to the scam, citing audio files as evidence.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had dismissed the allegations as “baseless” and threatened legal action, leading to the current defamation proceedings against the AAP leader.