Mumbai court has convicted Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut in a defamation case filed by Medha Somaiya, wife of BJP leader Kirit Somaiya. The court said that he did not exercise caution and caution while making certain statements, whereas being an MP, a high level of responsibility is expected of him. Last week, Judicial Magistrate Aarti Kulkarni had convicted Rajya Sabha member Raut under section 500 (punishment for defamation) of the Indian Penal Code. Also, he was sentenced to 15 days simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs 25,000 was also imposed on him. The court later postponed the sentencing for 30 days so that Raut could challenge the order in the higher court.
The court in its latest decision said that Medha Somaiya is an eminent person and her image has been tarnished due to defamation. The court said in its order that he has suffered mental pain. As an MP, Raut has a high level of responsibility when it comes to public speaking. The court said, ‘The accused gave statements against the complainant through the media without any caution and alertness. Despite knowing that the complainant may be defamed by this, he did not exercise caution and made defamatory statements and published them.
After all, what allegation was made against Sanjay Raut?
It is known that Medha Somaiya had filed the complaint in the year 2022 through lawyer Vivekananda Gupta. In this she alleged that Raut made baseless and completely defamatory allegations against her and her husband. He said Raut accused him of being involved in a Rs 100 crore scam over the construction and maintenance of some public toilets under the jurisdiction of Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation. He said that these allegations are completely false and he is being defamed by making a public statement.
