Mumbai court sentences Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena (UBT) to 15 days jail in defamation case

PTC News Desk: A metropolitan magistrate court in Mazgaon, Mumbai, on Thursday convicted Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut in a defamation case filed by Medha Kirit Somaiya, the wife of BJP leader Kirit Somaiya.

The court sentenced Raut, a Rajya Sabha MP, to 15 days of imprisonment under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code, which pertains to punishment for defamation. Additionally, the court imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on him.

The defamation case was filed by Medha Somaiya after Raut made allegedly “baseless and defamatory” accusations against her and her husband. In her complaint, she stated that the remarks were intended to tarnish her reputation in the public eye.

The case centers around allegations made by Raut, in an article published in the Shiv Sena’s official Marathi newspaper Saamna, accusing the Somaiyas of involvement in a Rs 100 crore scam related to the construction and maintenance of public toilets under the jurisdiction of the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation.

Medha Somaiya’s complaint mentioned that the article falsely accused her of building unauthorised toilets by illegally cutting mangroves and bypassing environmental clearances. The article also claimed that a report by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal had been submitted to the state government, detailing the alleged scam.

According to Medha Somaiya, the defamatory article was picked up by various other print and electronic media outlets, creating the public perception that she was involved in a Rs 100 crore scam.

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