Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has been granted bail, hours after a magistrate’s court in Mumbai convicted him in a defamation case filed by Medha Somaiya, the wife of former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya. Raut’s sentence was also suspended for 30 days, granting him time to file an appeal.
Lawyer Vivekanand Gupta, representing Medha Somaiya, said Raut was found guilty under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) by the magistrate court in Mazgaon. The court has sentenced Raut to 15 days imprisonment and a fine of Rs 25,000, Gupta said.
Reacting to the news, Raut said: “How can people like us who raise their voices against corruption and other irregularities get justice in a country when the Prime Minister of the country goes to the chief justice’s house to have Modaks during Ganpati festival?”
The case is related to a complaint filed by Medha, a professor of organic chemistry, after Raut alleged on April 15 and April 16, 2022, that the Somaiya couple was involved in a scam of Rs 100 crore by misusing funds for toilet construction. Medha Somaiya, in her complaint had alleged that Raut made baseless and completely defamatory allegations against her and her husband.
She said Raut had accused them of being involved in a Rs 100 crore scam over the construction and maintenance of some public toilets under the jurisdiction of the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation.
“The statements made by the accused to the media are per se defamatory. The statements have been made to malign my character in the eyes of the general public,” the complaint had stated.
However, supporting his allegations, Raut said that “I had not said this. The civic body’s leader of opposition Pravin Patil had made the allegations through a letter written to the then Chief minister. The local MLA Pratap Sarnaik had also raised the issue and demanded an inquiry. An order was also passed in the House”.
?So, when I just reiterate this, how can it be defamation? This all is on record. There is also a report of the civic body on it. I only raised some questions about it. This person (Somaiya) also keeps levelling allegations… But one thing is that there is a centralisation of the judiciary in the country”, he added.