A sessions court in Mumbai on Thursday struck down a 2024 magisterial court order convicting Shiv Sena (UBT) lawmaker Sanjay Raut in a criminal defamation case.
Medha Somaiya, the wife of Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kirit Somaiya, filed the case over statements attributed to Raut in 2022, accusing the Somaiyas of irregularities in a public works contract linked to toilet construction in the Mumbai metropolitan region’s Mira-Bhayandar.
The case was lodged under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code. Medha Somaiya called Raut’s statements false and said they had harmed her reputation.
A metropolitan magistrate convicted Raut in 2024, sentencing him to a short jail term and imposing a fine. Raut challenged the order before the Sessions Court, which said the conviction was not sustainable. A detailed order of the sessions court was awaited.