E-Paper
Shiv Sena MLA Ravindra Waikar files ₹100-cr suit against BJP leader
Responding to the suit, Somaiya said that as suspended cop Sachin Vaze was in prison, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray was trying to recover the ₹100 crore from him through the suit
Shiv Sena legislator Ravindra Waikar has moved a defamation suit in the Bombay high court (HC) against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Member of Parliament (MP) Kirit Somaiya, seeking damages of ₹100 crore.
In the suit, Waikar has claimed that Somaiya made “malicious” allegations about him not disclosing in his election affidavit the details of some property, which he allegedly purchased at Alibag, from late architect Anvay Naik. The suit has claimed that such “unsubstantiated allegations” by Somaiya has caused mental agony, and hence, Waikar sought a restraint on the BJP leader from making such statements, and to pay damages.
The suit filed by Waikar and his wife Manisha, through advocate Tamsin Monis, has averred that since January, Somaiya through various social media platforms – television and print media and press conferences – started making allegations about the legislator involved constructing bungalows on the Alibag plot and being a beneficiary of a sizeable sum of money in the allotment of a development project by the civic body to two developers in Andheri (East).
The suit has claimed that Somaiya had levelled ‘unsubstantiated’ statements against the plaintiffs, alleging non-declaration of assets and giving false information on oath before the Election Commission (EC).
Refuting the allegations, the couple has stated that they have “at all times made full disclosures in their declarations filed before EC”.
“The existence of the alleged 19 bungalows on Korlai plot is fiction of the defendant’s imagination, and the defendant is put to strict proof thereof as regards to all statements made by him. As for statements alleging benefit of ₹25 crore, the plaintiffs have no concern of whatsoever nature with the two developers and are not concerned with any development granted to these persons by BMC. The defendant is put to strict proof thereof for the statements creating grave attacks on the integrity of plaintiffs,” the suit stated. Enumerating the “agony” caused by such allegations by Somaiya, the Waikars have stated, “With haphazard knowledge, the defendant has claimed and attributed several illegal acts to plaintiff, which has caused immense embarrassment to plaintiffs. The plaintiffs believe and have observed on multiple occasions that these press conferences and blatant statements made by the defendant, is a modus operandi used by him against many others, to cause harassment and to unsettle them.”
The suit claims that amidst the current issue surrounding Naik’s suicide, Somaiya has cooked up the stories only to divert the focus from actual perpetrators.
The suit filed by Waikar, therefore, stated that every allegation made by Somaiya is “ex-facie defamatory and injuring reputation of plaintiffs…trying to portray an illusionary existence of several non-existing profitable transactions for commercial benefits.”
In light of this, the Waikars sought direction from the court to order damages of ₹100 crore to be paid by the defendant, and permanently restraining from in any manner maligning the reputation of the plaintiff without substantive proof through social media, press conferences and pending hearing sought an interim relief of the same nature.
The suit will come up for hearing in due course.
Responding to the suit, Somaiya said that as suspended cop Sachin Vaze was in prison, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray was trying to recover the ₹100 crore from him through the suit.
