Court summons Uddhav, Raut in defamation case

Samna had in their edition of December 29, 2022, carried a news article stating that Shewale, who has become the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha after joining the Eknath Shinde group, has a hotel in Karachi, Pakistan, and also has real estate business there. In the complaint filed through his advocate Chitra Salunkhe, Shewale claimed that he was shocked and distressed after seeing the said article

Mumbai: A metropolitan magistrate court in Sewri on Monday summoned former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and his party MP Sanjay Raut after Shiv Sena leader Rahul Shewale filed a complaint over an allegedly defamatory article published in Sena (UBT’s) mouthpiece, Saamana, against him.

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Metropolitan magistrate SB Kale has asked Thackeray and Raut to appear before him on July 14.

Samna had in their edition of December 29, 2022, carried a news article stating that Shewale, who has become the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha after joining the Eknath Shinde group, has a hotel in Karachi, Pakistan, and also has real estate business there. In the complaint filed through his advocate Chitra Salunkhe, Shewale claimed that he was shocked and distressed after seeing the said article.

“The complainant strongly refuted all the allegations made in the said articles and categorically stated that this is merely a feeble attempt to damage the reputation and political career of the complainant by levelling false accusations against him to malign his image before the public at large,” Shewale said in his complaint.

He added that the articles published in Hindi and Marathi editions of the publications were concocted and devoid of any merit and a classic example of vendetta journalism. Shewale further stated that Thackeray and Raut, who is also the editor of Saamna, were fully aware that he, being a Member of Parliament, was a respectable public figure. Therefore, such defamatory, frivolous and false articles not only severely hamper his reputation but also hurt the sentiments of thousands of people who hold him in high regard, his plea said.