Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has withdrawn a defamation case against Congress leader Digvijay Singh after the latter expressed regret over his statement. The case that was filed in October 2012, was withdrawn when a joint application for the withdrawal of the case was filed before Delhi's Patiala House Court, which, as reported by news agency ANI, was accepted. 

In December 2012, the Congress leader was granted bail by the court in the criminal defamation case filed by Nitin Gadkari, where the former had alleged that the BJP leader had business links with MP Ajay Sancheti. Singh had also alleged that Gadkari pocketed Rs 490 crore in the allocation of coal block to Sancheti. Advocate Neeraj was presenting the complaint in the court.

The court found prima facie evidence against the Congress leader, after which, he was ordered to present before the court. Nitin Gadkari denied having any business links with Sancheti and said that Congress leader had falsely levelled allegations against him to give "an impression that I have been responsible for allocation of the coal mine to Sancheti", as per the statement recorded in the court. 

Gadkari also alleged that Singh had levelled a defamatory allegation against him to ruin his image in the public. Meanwhile, Congress had denied the charges of defamation. The complaint was filed under Section 499 (defamation) and 500 (punishment for defamation) of the Indian Penal Code.