India, Feb. 28 -- Chandigarh

Nearly eight years after a defamation complaint was first filed, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal is set to personally appear before a local court on March 23, marking a key step in a long-running legal dispute. Badal was granted exemption from appearance on the previous date after informing the court that he had to attend a meeting with party leaders in New Delhi.

The court accepted his plea but directed him to remain present on the next hearing. The case dates back to 2017, when then Akhand Kirtani Jatha spokesperson Rajinder Pal Singh filed a criminal defamation complaint. He alleged that Badal had publicly linked him with the banned militant outfit Babbar Khalsa International, causing serio...