Mumbai, Feb 26 (IANS) A Mumbai Sessions Court on Thursday acquitted Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut in a criminal defamation case filed by Medha Somaiya, wife of BJP leader Kirit Somaiya.

The Special Sessions Court pronounced its verdict after reserving the order in Raut’s appeal challenging his conviction by a Magistrate's Court last year.

With Thursday’s ruling, Raut has been granted relief and stands acquitted in the case.

The dispute stemmed from allegations made by Raut in the media, in which he accused Medha Somaiya of involvement in an alleged Rs 100 crore scam related to the construction of public toilets under the Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation. Somaiya had strongly refuted the charges, terming them false and defamatory.

In September last year, a Mazagaon Metropolitan Magistrate Court had found Raut guilty of defamation and sentenced him to 15 days’ simple imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 25,000. The sentence, however, was stayed after Raut filed an appeal before the Sessions Court.

Medha Somaiya, a professor of Organic Chemistry at Mumbai’s Ruia College, had approached the court claiming that Raut’s public statements had damaged her and her husband’s reputation. Prior to filing the complaint in court, the Somaiyas had lodged a complaint at Mulund Police Station. They maintained that “not even a single rupee scam has been committed” and sought legal action against what they described as baseless allegations.

Raut, on the other hand, consistently argued that his statements were based on certain official documents and that he had merely raised questions regarding the alleged irregularities in the toilet construction project. He maintained that the issue had also been discussed in the Maharashtra Assembly.

With the Sessions Court overturning the Magistrate Court’s conviction, it is a significant legal victory for Raut in a matter involving leaders from rival parties in Maharashtra.

--IANS

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