Delhi Court to decide on Priya Ramani in defamation case by MJ Akbar on Jan 29

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 MJ 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 MJ 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.

Over 20 former colleagues of MJ Akbar, mostly journalists have come out with their case of sexual abuse by the journalist. The list includes Priya Ramani, Prerna Singh Bindra, Ghazala Wahab, Shutapa Paul, Anju Bharti, Suparna Sharma, Shuma Raha, Malini Bhupta, Kanika Gahlout, Kadambari M Wade, Majlie de Puy Kamp and Ruth David.

Twenty journalists who accused MJ Akbar of sexual abuse had also issued a statement on October 16. The women said that Akbar has refused to “acknowledge” or “atone” for his actions that have been the cause of “immense pain and indeed harm to many many women over the years”.

"He himself, in the meanwhile, continues to enjoy enormous power and privilege as minister and Member of Parliament," the statement had said.

"When Ramani spoke out against him in public, she spoke not only about her personal experience, but also lifted the lid on the culture of 'casual misogyny, entitlement and sexual predation' that Akbar engendered and presided over at The Asian Age," it said.

Ramani was the first to accuse Akbar of sexual harassment. MJ Akbar had to resign from the office of Minister of State for External Affairs due to these allegations.

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".

With inputs from IANS