by admin | May 25, 2021 | Media, News, Politics
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
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
M.J. Akbar (left) and Priya Ramani (right)
New Delhi : A Delhi court on Tuesday issued summons to journalist Priya Ramani in a defamation case filed by former Union Minister M.J. Akbar.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal asked Ramani to appear before the court on February 25, noting that the the allegations of sexual harassment by Ramani were prima facie defamatory and refers to complainant Akbar.
“All that is necessary to take a prima facie view that the offence of defamation has been committed against the complainant, by the respondent Priya Ramani exists on record, and therefore there are sufficient grounds to proceed against her,” the court said.
“Accordingly, Priya Ramani is summoned for commission of offence of defamation under Section 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code.”
Akbar has denied the allegations made against him said that they were false and imaginary.
“These defamatory statements have been published, widely read and particularly by the witnesses examined who deposed that the reputation of the complainant was lowered,” the court said.
The court also said that at this stage, it only has the version of the complainant, who has on oath deposed that all the allegations made are false and further brought witnesses to vouch for his impeccable and unblemished reputation.
The witnesses also proved that the reputation of the complainant was lowered in their eyes — again an essential requirement of the offence of defamation.
“A person cannot be defamed in his own eyes. A man’s reputation is the estimate in which others holds him, not the good opinion which he has of himself,” the court said.
“There has to be other reasonable, prudent and right thinking members of society who say that the reputation of a person aggrieved is lowered in their estimation.”
Akbar’s counsel and senior advocate Geeta Luthra and lawyer Sandeep Kapur told the court that Ramani had damaged Akbar’s reputation which he had built over the years through hard work.
The counsel argued that the allegations made in the article in Vogue and the subsequent tweets were defamatory on the face of it as Akbar has deposed that the allegations were false and imaginary.
The counsel also submitted that the subsequent publications based on the Ramani allegations further aggravated defamation.
The counsel argued that Ramani has herself admitted that she didn’t name the complainant earlier as he didn’t do anything to her. The counsel said then what was the basis for her to make such allegations which completely injured and demolished his reputation for eternity.
Ramani was the first in a long list of women journalists to accuse the former Minister of State for External Affairs and journalist-turned-politician of sexual harassment.
The statements of seven witnesses, including that of Akbar, who is now with the Bharatiya Janata Party, have been recorded.
The Rajya Sabha member has denied all charges against him as “false, wild and baseless”.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
New Delhi : A Delhi court on Tuesday said it will decide on January 29 whether to summon journalist Priya Ramani or not in the defamation case filed by former Union Minister M.J. Akbar.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal reserved the order after Akbar’s counsel and senior advocate Geeta Luthra and lawyer Sandeep Kapur concluded their arguments on issuing summons to Ramani.
The counsel told the court that Ramani had damaged Akbar’s reputation which he had built up over the years through hard work.
He said Ramani’s defamatory statements had lowered Akbar’s esteem in the public eye.
The journalist in a tweet posted with an article in October 2018 wrote: “I began this piece with my M.J. Akbar story. Never named him because he didn’t ‘do’ anything. Lots of women have worse stories about this predator — maybe they’ll share.”
Akbar’s counsel told the court that Ramani was wrong to make this allegation as she had accepted that Akbar did not do anything to her.
Ramani’s language was extremely defamatory, the counsel said, while requesting the court to issue summons against her as an accused in the case.
The court was hearing the defamation case against Ramani filed by the former Minister of State for External Affairs, a journalist-turned-politician, who is now with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Ramani was the first in a long list of women journalists to accuse Akbar of sexual harassment.
The statement of seven witnesses, including Akbar, has been recorded.
A Rajya Sabha member, Akbar has denied all the charges against him as “false, wild and baseless”.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Media, News, Politics
M.J. Akbar
New Delhi : A Delhi Court on Friday concluded the recording of complainant witnesses in the defamation case filed by former Union Minister M.J. Akbar against woman journalist Priya Ramani who accused him of sexual harassment.
Testifying, Akbar’s former personal assistant Rachna Goel, his personal assistant Manzar Ali, a communication consultant and Tapan Chaki defended the journalist and said the former Minister’s standing had been was tarnished by Ramani’s allegations.
“This has damaged his reputation which he has built up over the years of his hard work,” Goel told Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal.
Goel told the court that during her 10 years of working with Akbar, she found him to be a professional and never heard any complaint of inappropriate behaviour against him.
“Akbar has been very professional, very encouraging and has been very helpful in grooming and building up careers,” Goel said.
Chaki said that Akbar was a gentleman, a hard taskmaster, a man of impeccable credentials and very well mannered.
The three witnesses said that they were shocked after reading Ramani’s tweet.
The court will hear arguments on the issue of by summoning Ramani on January 22.
The court was hearing the defamation case against Ramani filed by the former Minister of State for External Affairs, a journalist-turned-politician who is now with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Ramani was the first in a long list of women journalists to accuse Akbar of sexual harassment.
The statement of seven witnesses including Akbar were recorded.
Akbar’s counsel Sandeep Kapur told the court that Ramani’s defamatory statements had damaged his image, lowering his esteem in the eyes of the public.
A Rajya Sabha member, Akbar has denied all the charges against him as “false, wild and baseless”.
—IANS
