A Patiala court on Monday (October 19, 2026) sentenced former Punjab MLA Simarjeet Singh Bains to one year of rigorous imprisonment in a defamation case filed by former State Health Minister Brahm Mohindra.

The verdict was pronounced by Chief Judicial Magistrate Ekta Sahota.

The court held that Mr. Mohindra had proved his case through oral and documentary evidence, finding Bains guilty of defamation under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

"Therefore, the point of determination is answered in favour of the complainant... accused Simarjeet Singh Bains is hereby held guilty of committing the offence of defamation of the complainant, which has lowered the reputation of the complainant in the eyes of the general public," the court said.

The case dates back to 2018, when Bains had alleged irregularities in the procurement of medicines for Punjab's de-addiction centres and claimed links between Mohindra and a pharmaceutical company.

Mr. Mohindra subsequently filed a criminal defamation complaint against Bains.

During the proceedings, the court found that Bains failed to produce sufficient concrete evidence in support of his allegations. It held that the allegations had damaged Mr. Mohindra's social and political reputation.