India, Oct. 11 -- A Delhi court on Saturday refused to take cognizance of a criminal defamation complaint filed by Delhi Cabinet minister Parvesh Verma against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj, holding that "merely asking questions" to an elected representative cannot amount to defamation.

The order was passed by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Neha Mittal of Rouse Avenue courts, ruling that the alleged posts, which questioned the minister over a school trust and a child rape case, were not imputations against him.

"Merely asking questions from another, especially from a person acting as a representative of the public in the Parliament, regarding any law and order situation or for that purpose, any other matter, canno...