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The defamation suit against Priya Ramani comes as many social media calls called for the resignation of Mr. J. Akbar from his position as Minister of State for External Affairs. Photo: HT
New Delhi: Journalist turned politician, MJ Akbar on Monday lodged an action for defamation against Priya Ramani, the first journalist to publicly accuse him of harassment, a day after he issued a statement in which he denied being accused of aggression sexual abuse and harassment.
Akbar is currently Minister of State for External Affairs in the Narendra Modi government.
More than 10 women, apart from Mint show Columnist Priya Ramani recounted in recent days cases of alleged sexual behavior attributed to Akbar. These include journalists Ghazala Wahab, Suparna Sharma, Harinder Baweja, Anju Bharti and Kanika Gahlaut.
The criminal case for defamation was filed in the court of Patiala House in New Delhi. It was aimed at obtaining redress under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code of 1860. The case was brought by the senior partner Sandeep Kapur of Karanjawala & Co. for the court hearing.
The plea alleged that Akbar's reputation had suffered irreparable harm.
"The scandalous accusations of the accused, by their tone and content, are ex-defamatory and have not only undermined the complainant's goodwill and reputation in his social circles and on the political scene, but have also harmed his personal reputation in the community, friends, family, he says.
The complaint lists instances of alleged defamatory statements made by Ramani that were distributed by print and electronic media, as well as by Twitter.
Ramani, in a statement shared on her Twitter account, said she was ready to fight the allegations of defamation against her.
"I am deeply disappointed that a union minister should dismiss several women's allegations as a political conspiracy. In initiating criminal proceedings for defamation against me, Mr. Akbar has clearly stated his position: instead of sticking to the serious allegations made by many women, he seeks to silence them by intimidation and harassment, "she said.
On Sunday, Akbar rejected accusations of sexual harassment and said they were "fake and fabricated, spiced with innuendo and malice". He said that he could not answer the charges before because he was on official tour.
The charges were first revealed in a Ramani message on Twitter on October 8, while Akbar began his trip to Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea. Ramani named Akbar the publisher she had referred to in an article from Vogue magazine on sexual harassment at the workplace in October 2017. Without identifying Akbar, she detailed the allegedly unjustified advances that he had made 20 years ago, at the age of 23 years.
I started this piece with my story of MJ Akbar. I never named him because he did not do anything. Many women have worse stories about this predator – they may share. #ulti https://t.co/5jVU5WHHo7
– Priya Ramani (@priyaramani) October 8, 2018
Later in the week, several other women journalists made public allegations of Akbar's alleged misconduct among the numerous charges against the #MeToo movement in India, who had sung prominent personalities in the country. entertainment and media sector in India since its appearance at least two weeks ago.
The issue is likely to create political repercussions. On Monday, members of the Indian Congress of Youth, the youth wing of Congress, demonstrated near Akbar's official residence in New Delhi, demanding his resignation. Senior Congressional officials have asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments on the issue and that strict measures be taken against Akbar.
On Sunday, Akbar asked why the women who had accused him did not report the incidents before. "This is the reason why no one has approached the authorities so long, because I have not done anything," he said.
"Why did this storm come up a few months before the general election? Is there an agenda? You will be the judge, "said Akbar, referring to the elections that will be held in five states: Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Telangana – starting November 12. India is also scheduled to go to the national polls in 2019.
The latest high-profile defamation case that was seen was that of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, against Delhi's chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Aam party leaders AAP (AAP), alleging financial irregularities in the Delhi and District Cricket Association, during his tenure. of the association. The issue resulted in a political slugfest at the hearings and ended abruptly when Kejriwal apologized to Jaitley.
Elizabeth Roche contributed to this story.
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