Mumbai: A magistrate’s court in Mumbai, on Thursday convicted Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut in a defamation case filed by Medha Somaiya, wife of former BJP MP Kirti Somaiya. The court found him guilty under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Raut has been sentenced Raut to 15 days’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 25,000.
Raut’s lawyers are expected to approach the court on Thursday to request a suspension of the sentence, allowing him time to appeal the conviction.
In her complaint, Medha said that Raut made statements about her on April 15 and April 16, 2022. These statements, which were defamatory and incorrect, were carried in newspapers. She had submitted documents and video clips as evidence of Raut’s statements against her. In her petition, she sought an unconditional apology and a permanent injunction against Raut, prohibiting him from publishing, circulating, or printing any defamatory material about her in the future.
Raut had allegedly accused Medha and Kirit Somaiya of being involved in a Rs 100-crore toilet scam at the Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation.
She claimed that the allegations in the article and subsequent media coverage following the publication in Saamana were unfounded and intended to damage her reputation.