Priya Ramani

New Delhi : A Delhi court on Monday granted bail to journalist Priya Ramani in a defamation case filed by former Union Minister M.J. Akbar.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal granted bail to Ramani asking her to furnish a personal bond and surety of Rs 10,000 each.

The court has listed the matter for further hearing on April 10.

Ramani appeared before the court in pursuance of summons issued against her in the defamation case filed by the former Minister of State for External Affairs after Ramani named him in a case of misconduct.

She was the first in a long list of women journalists to accuse the former Minister and journalist-turned-politician of sexual harassment.

The allegations against Akbar, 68, dated back to his former career in journalism.

Ramani revealed in October 2018 that an article she wrote in 2017 about an unnamed editor’s predatory behaviour was in fact about M.J. Akbar.

She said he was as “talented a predator” as he was a writer. Several other women since have come forward with stories about him.

Akbar has denied the allegations made against him and said they were “false and imaginary”.

The statements of seven witnesses, including that of Akbar, who is now with the Bharatiya Janata Party, have been recorded in the defamation case.

—IANS