Delhi HC seeks police report on Parvesh Verma 'slapgate' assault plea
Synopsis
The Delhi High Court has stepped into the 'slapgate' row, seeking a status report from Delhi Police after a man alleged he was slapped by Deputy CM Parvesh Verma during a road inspection in Tilak Nagar. With the police having resisted an FIR and the court scheduling a follow-up for 17 November, this case is as much about alleged police inaction as it is about ministerial conduct.
Key Takeaways
The Delhi High Court on 8 October 2026 sought a status report from Delhi Police on a plea filed by assault-complainant Sahib Singh .
Justice Sachin Datta issued notice on the petition; the matter is listed for further hearing on 17 November .
The petition seeks protection of the petitioner, preservation of CCTV footage from 25–30 September , an independent probe, and a judicially supervised inquiry committee headed by a former Delhi HC judge.
Sahib Singh alleges Deputy CM Parvesh Verma pushed down his phone and slapped him during a road inspection in Tilak Nagar, West Delhi ; a video of the incident circulated online.
Verma has claimed Singh abused his family members; Singh has denied the allegation and demanded Verma's resignation and an FIR.
Delhi Police opposed the maintainability of the plea and sought its dismissal, but the court declined at this stage.
The Delhi High Court on Thursday, 8 October 2026, sought a status report from the Delhi Police on a petition filed by Sahib Singh, the man who allegedly was assaulted and slapped by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Parvesh Verma during an inspection of an under-construction road in the national capital. The case, which has come to be dubbed 'slapgate', centres on an altercation that reportedly took place in Tilak Nagar, West Delhi, during the last week of September.
Court Issues Notice, Seeks Status Report
A single-judge bench of Justice Sachin Datta issued notice on the plea and called for a status report from the Delhi Police. The matter has been listed for further hearing on 17 November. The Delhi Police opposed the maintainability of the petition and sought its outright dismissal, but the High Court declined to drop the matter at this stage.
The petition seeks multiple reliefs: protection of the petitioner's life and liberty, preservation of CCTV footage and other electronic evidence from the locations concerned between 25 and 30 September, and an independent investigation into allegations of assault, threats, and alleged police inaction. The petitioner expressed concern that relevant digital material could be overwritten or lost if not preserved promptly.
What the Petitioner Has Alleged
Sahib Singh has claimed he accompanied an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA to inspect the road quality in Tilak Nagar after receiving a call. According to the petition, while Singh was recording the inspection on his mobile phone, Verma pushed his phone down and allegedly slapped him before retreating behind his police and security detail.
A video of the incident, which circulated widely, reportedly shows Verma pulling down Singh's mobile phone with his left hand while Singh was recording, following which Verma appears to strike Singh with his right hand. A security guard subsequently intervened between the two. Singh also claimed he had been live-streaming the inspection on an Instagram page at the time of the incident, asserting the footage would corroborate his account.
Singh had approached the Commissioner of Police on 29 September seeking registration of a First Information Report (FIR), legal action, and protection. He has alleged that despite this complaint, no effective action was taken by the police.
What the Petition Demands
The petition goes beyond the immediate altercation. It seeks the constitution of an independent, judicially supervised inquiry committee headed by a former Delhi High Court judge to examine all complaints, CCTV footage, electronic evidence, and police records, with a mandate to submit a time-bound report to the High Court. The plea also requests that any investigation be entrusted to an independent team or agency with no connection to the police personnel against whom allegations have been made.
Verma's Defence and Singh's Rebuttal
Deputy Chief Minister Parvesh Verma, who also holds the Public Works Department portfolio, has defended his conduct, claiming that Sahib Singh had abused his family members and that he reacted to the alleged provocation. Singh has categorically denied using abusive or disrespectful language.
'Our demand is that the Deputy Chief Minister should resign; he is not worthy of being a minister. An FIR should at least be registered against him,' Singh said in remarks made a day after the incident. Singh added that he was willing to accept allegations and apologise if evidence emerged that he had been disrespectful, saying: 'If there is even 1 per cent evidence that I used any abusive language or showed disrespect, I am ready to accept all allegations and apologise to them. But we didn't say anything inappropriate.'
What Comes Next
With the Delhi High Court now in the picture and a status report due, pressure on the Delhi Police to act on the FIR demand is expected to mount. The next hearing on 17 November will be closely watched for whether the court imposes directions on evidence preservation or probe accountability. The case also carries political overtones given Verma's seniority in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Delhi government and the involvement of an AAP affiliate on the other side of the dispute.
Point of View
Insulated from officers against whom allegations have been made, reflects a broader crisis of confidence in institutional impartiality when powerful political figures are involved. The case now sits at the intersection of two parallel battles: the evidentiary dispute over what the video actually shows, and whether the police hierarchy responds differently when a senior minister is the accused. The November 17 date gives the court adequate window to examine compliance, but the real test is whether evidence preservation orders are enforced promptly enough to matter.
NationPress
8 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Parvesh Verma 'slapgate' case?
'Slapgate' refers to an alleged incident in which Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Parvesh Verma purportedly pushed down a man's mobile phone and slapped him during a road inspection in Tilak Nagar, West Delhi, in late September 2026. The complainant, Sahib Singh, claims he was accompanying an AAP MLA to inspect road quality when the altercation took place; a video of the incident circulated widely online.
What has the Delhi High Court done in this case?
On 8 October 2026, a single-judge bench of Justice Sachin Datta issued notice and sought a status report from the Delhi Police on the plea filed by Sahib Singh. The matter has been listed for further hearing on 17 November. The court declined to dismiss the petition at this stage despite the police opposing its maintainability.
What relief is Sahib Singh seeking in his petition?
Singh's petition seeks protection of his life and liberty, preservation of CCTV footage and electronic evidence from 25 to 30 September, an FIR and independent investigation into the assault and alleged police inaction, and the constitution of a judicially supervised inquiry committee headed by a former Delhi High Court judge.
Why has no FIR been registered yet?
Singh approached the Commissioner of Police on 29 September seeking an FIR and protection, but alleges no effective action was taken. The Delhi Police subsequently opposed the High Court petition on maintainability grounds, which the petitioner argues reflects the police inaction he has complained about.
What is Parvesh Verma's defence?
Deputy CM Parvesh Verma has stated that Sahib Singh abused his family members, framing his reaction as a response to alleged provocation. Singh has denied using any abusive or disrespectful language and has said he is willing to accept all allegations if even one per cent evidence of misbehaviour is produced.
