Rajya Sabha MP and leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT), Sanjay Raut is sentenced to 15 days in jail after he was found guilty in a defamation case. The metropolitan magistrate in Mazgaon, Mumbai, also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on Raut, following a complaint lodged by Dr. Medha Kirit Somaiya, the wife of BJP leader Kirit Somaiya.
Medha Somaiya, a professor of Organic Chemistry at Ruia College in Mumbai, filed a complaint claiming that Raut falsely accused her and her husband of wrongdoing, which she believes is damaging to their reputation.
Vivekanand Gupta, the advocate representing Dr Somaiya, confirmed the court’s decision, saying, “The Court ordered 15-day imprisonment for Sanjay Raut and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on him.”
Dr Somaiya’s petition accused Raut of making unfounded and defamatory allegations, claiming that she and her husband were involved in a Rs 100 crore scam tied to the construction and maintenance of public toilets in Mira Bhayandar.
In her complaint, Dr. Somaiya asserted, “The statements made by the accused to the media are per se defamatory. The statements have been made to malign my character in the eyes of the general public.”
Raut was found guilty of defamation under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code and received a 15-day jail sentence, along with a fine of Rs 25,000.
The complaint against him, made by Medha Somaiya through her lawyer Vivekanand Gupta, accused Raut of making harmful and unfounded statements about her to the media since April 2022. These statements were widely disseminated through both print and electronic media, as well as on social media platforms.
In response, Raut’s lawyer and his brother, Sunil Raut, announced that they had filed a bail application and planned to appeal the decision in the Mumbai Sessions Court.