A metropolitan magistrate court in Mumbai's Mazgaon on Thursday convicted Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut and sent him to 15 days imprisonment in a defamation case filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya's wife, Medha Kirit Somaiya, news agency PTI reported.
The court convicted the Rajya Sabha MP under Section 500 (punishment for defamation) of the Indian Penal code and also imposed a fine of ₹25,000.
The BJP leader's wife filed a defamation case and alleged that Raut made completely “baseless and defamatory” claims against her and her husband. "The statements have been made to malign my character in the eyes of the general public," her complaint had stated.
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Responding to the court order, Raut said, "I respect courts but can't believe that they passed such an order. How can we expect justice in a country where the PM goes to the Chief Justice of India's house for Ganesh festival and eats modak?".
₹100 crore toilet ‘scam’
The case involves Raut's allegation that the BJP leader and his wife was involved in a ‘scam’ related to the construction and maintenance of public toilets under Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation's jurisdiction. Raut made these allegations in an article published by the party's official Marathi newspaper Saamna.
{{/usCountry}}The case involves Raut's allegation that the BJP leader and his wife was involved in a ‘scam’ related to the construction and maintenance of public toilets under Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation's jurisdiction. Raut made these allegations in an article published by the party's official Marathi newspaper Saamna.
{{/usCountry}}In her complaint, Medha Somaiya said that she came across the "defamatory” article, wherein she has been accused of building unauthorised toilets by cutting mangroves and without getting the requisite permissions from environmental authorities.
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The article has further stated that she was involved in a scam of ₹100 crore and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner (BMC) Iqbal Singh Chahal submitted a report to that effect to the state government.
The BJP leader's wife alleged that the article was picked by other print and electronic media, and this created an impression in the minds of the public that she had committed a scam of ₹100 crore.
During trial, she also produced newspaper articles and other material, which she claimed was circulated to ‘tarnish’ her image in the eyes of general public.