Sulakshana Pramod Sawant, the wife of Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, has filed a Rs 100 crore defamation suit against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh, accusing him of making defamatory statements linking her to a “Cash-for-Jobs Scam” in Goa. The allegations were made during a press conference on December 4.

The defamation suit was filed in the Civil Judge Senior Division Court in Bicholim, Goa. According to the complaint, Singh’s remarks suggested that Sulakshana Sawant was involved in corrupt practices related to a job scam. The statements were broadcast live on national and regional news channels and widely circulated on social media platforms like YouTube, garnering significant attention.

The suit claims that the accusations were made without any credible evidence, damaging Sulakshana Sawant’s reputation and integrity. It asserts that these defamatory statements, made in a press conference, were broadcasted and amplified, causing further harm to her public image.

The legal action seeks Rs 100 crore in damages for defamation, as well as a permanent injunction against Sanjay Singh and his associates to prevent them from making or publishing further defamatory statements about Mrs. Sawant. Additionally, the suit demands a public apology from Singh, retracting his false statements, and seeks an injunction to stop further defamatory comments during the legal proceedings.

The defamation claim also highlights several of Singh’s remarks, including allegations that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, under the guise of job creation, has been involved in corruption and bribery. Singh claimed that Sulakshana Sawant was named in the scandal alongside several ministers. He further accused the Sawant family of accepting bribes for jobs and participating in a major job bribery scam involving corruption in Goa since 2014.

In response to the lawsuit, BJP leader Giriraj Pai Vernekar stated that Singh had made derogatory remarks without substantiating the allegations or providing evidence. He affirmed that Sulakshana Sawant, who heads the BJP Goa Mahila Morcha, had taken legal action for defamation. He added that the court had issued a notice and the next hearing was scheduled for January.

BJP MLA Krishna V. Salkar also reacted, saying that dragging the Chief Minister’s family into such allegations was unjust. He emphasized that Sulakshana Sawant had always worked as a dedicated party worker and that the Chief Minister had decided to take strict action against anyone involved in the job scam.