Sulakshana Sawant, the wife of Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, has filed a defamation lawsuit seeking ₹100 crore against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh. This action follows allegations made by Singh during a press conference earlier this month, in which he accused her of being involved in a “Cash-for-Jobs Scam” in Goa. The defamation suit was filed in the Civil Judge Senior Division Court in Bicholim, Goa, and claims that these accusations were baseless and damaging to her reputation.
According to the official press note accompanying the lawsuit, Singh’s statements were made without any credible evidence and were widely broadcast on national and regional news channels. These statements were also circulated extensively on social media platforms like YouTube, where they received considerable attention. The lawsuit argues that the widespread sharing of these false allegations amplified their damaging effects on Sulakshana Sawant’s public image.
In her suit, Sawant seeks ₹100 crore as damages for the harm caused by these defamatory remarks. She has also requested a permanent injunction against Singh and his associates, preventing them from making or publishing any further defamatory statements, videos, or articles about her on any platform, including social media. Furthermore, she has demanded a public apology from Singh, publicly clarifying that his statements were false and correcting the damage caused by the defamatory video and article.
The defamation suit highlights the gravity of Singh’s allegations, which claim that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has been involved in a large-scale corruption and bribery scheme under the pretense of job creation. Singh named Sulakshana Sawant, alongside several BJP ministers, as being involved in this scam. He even referred to comments made by the then-Governor of Goa, Satyapal Malik, who allegedly stated that Sawant was involved in accepting bribes for jobs in the state government.
The lawsuit asserts that these unfounded accusations have severely tarnished Sawant’s reputation. The Chief Minister’s wife has also requested the court to grant the costs of the suit and any other appropriate relief. In response to these allegations, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has assured that the state police are conducting a thorough and transparent investigation into the alleged cash-for-jobs scam. Several job aspirants in Goa have also reported being extorted for money by intermediaries promising government jobs.
