Akbar-Priya Ramani defamation case: Journalist gives statement in court

Ghazala Wahab, in her deposition, alleged that MJ Akbar sexually harassed her on a number of occasions in his office at the Asian Age newspaper in 1997.

Former Asian Age journalist Ghazala Wahab deposed on Tuesday before the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vishal Pahuja in the defamation case filed by former journalist and Union minister MJ Akbar against journalist Priya Ramani.

Former minister of state for external affairs, MJ Akbar (left), has said that the sexual harassment allegations against him are “false, fabricated and deeply distressing. (Reuters File)

Wahab, in her deposition, alleged that Akbar sexually harassed her on a number of occasions in his office at the Asian Age newspaper in 1997.

Wahab was among a group of women, which includes journalist Priya Ramani, who made allegations of sexual misconduct against the former Union minister in 2018.

The former minister of state for external affairs, who says the sexual harassment allegations are “false, fabricated and deeply distressing”, filed a criminal defamation suit against Ramani in October 2018.

Akbar’s lawyers led by Geeta Luthra objected to Wahab’s statements. “The statements made by witness in her examination in chief is objected either being hearsay or irrelevant or not being fact in issue,” they said.

Wahab will be cross examined on December 11.

With inputs from PTI