Delhi court summons Priya Ramani to appear on Feb 25 in defamation case filed by MJ Akbar

A Delhi court on Tuesday summoned scribe Priya Ramani to appear on Feb 25 in a defamation case filed by former Union minister MJ Akbar after she levelled allegations of sexual misconduct against him

Photo Courtesy: PTI
Photo Courtesy: PTI
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IANS/PTI

A Delhi court on Tuesday summoned scribe Priya Ramani to appear on February 25 in a defamation case filed by former Union minister MJ Akbar after she levelled allegations of sexual misconduct against him.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal issued the direction on Akbar's plea.

Akbar's counsel and senior advocate Geeta Luthra and lawyer Sandeep Kapur told the court that Ramani had damaged Akbar's reputation which he had built over the years through hard work.

Ramani was the first in a long list of women journalists to accuse the former Minister of State for External Affairs and journalist-turned-politician of sexual harassment. Ramani accused Akbar of sexual misconduct around 20 years ago, which was denied by him.

The statements of seven witnesses, including that of Akbar, who is now with the Bharatiya Janata Party, have been recorded.

The Rajya Sabha member has denied all charges against him as "false, wild and baseless".

Akbar, who resigned as Union minister on October 17 last year, filed a private criminal defamation complaint against Ramani after his name cropped up on social media as the #MeToo campaign raged on in India.

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