‘I deserve to be acquitted’: Submissions on Priya Ramani’s behalf conclude in MJ Akbar’s defamation case

"I have proved my case and I deserve to be acquitted," said Senior Advocate Rebecca John on Saturday as she concluded her submissions on behalf of Priya Ramani in MJ Akbar's defamation case against her before a Delhi Court, legal news website BarandBench.com has reported.

Stating that freedom of speech and expression was critical and intrinsic to a democracy, John remarked that Priya Ramani was a "small part of a large movement" in which hundreds and thousands of women participated and called out the sexually coloured behaviour of their male bosses.

"I proved my truth.. My truth was corroborated by Nilofer. I pleaded good faith by stating that 'I began the piece with my MJ Akbar story' and then explained how the (Vogue) article should be read...I explained the nature of my tweets..", John said.

The case was listed for virtual hearing before Judge Vishal Pahuja, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Rouse Avenue.

In October 2018, MJ Akbar had filed a criminal defamation complaint against journalist, Priya Ramani after she took to Twitter to level allegations of sexual misconduct against him.

Ramani has pleaded truth, good faith, public interest and public good as her defence in the defamation trial. She has invoked Exceptions 1 and 9 read with Exception 3 to Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code.

John has argued that the allegations of sexual harassment levelled by Priya Ramani against MJ Akbar stand validated by the combined experience of multiple women who made similar accusations against him.

"Ramani did not jump onto any bandwagon. There was an avalanche of disclosures against MJ Akbar. Her’s was one of them," John said today.

Summarizing her defence before the court, John reasserted that Ramani's truth was proved through her own testimony, the testimony of her friend Nilofer and journalist Ghazala Wahab who has written a painful account of her own experience at the hands of MJ Akbar.

John has also placed reliance on Akbar's own admission with respect to his "consensual relationship" with Pallavi Gogoi.

Stating that the burden of good faith and due care have been discharged by Priya Ramani, John further contended, "I have discharged the burden of good faith by putting myself on the stand.. I have not run away. I have not feigned ignorance like the other side. I have given an explanation for the words that I've used."

John today also refuted Akbar's assertion that he "worked very hard" and that "his reputation was tarnished" due to Ramani's tweets and article.

"Hard work is not exclusive to MJ Akbar...This case is not about how hard he worked... My case is that before I met him, I admired him as a

journalist. But his conduct with me and the shared experience of other women do not justify this complaint," John said.

John also dealt with the objections raised by the counsel for MJ Akbar during the trial.

John ended her submissions with a quote by late US Supeme Court Judge, Ruth Bader Ginsburg on arbitrary barriers that women face in work-life.

Senior Advocate Geeta Luthra will begin the rebuttal on behalf of MJ Akbar on October 13.