Mumbai, February 26: A sessions court in Mumbai has granted significant relief to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut by acquitting him in a defamation case. The case was filed by Medha Somaiya, the wife of BJP leader Kirit Somaiya.
Following his acquittal, Raut expressed his relief, stating, “I feel relieved. The lower court had sentenced me to 15 days in jail. There was a discussion in the assembly regarding a scam in the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation, which I did not initiate. MLA Pratap Sarnaik also lodged a complaint on this matter. Based on that, I made a statement, so there was no question of defamation. However, the lower court sentenced me to 15 days in jail. Our lawyers presented our case in court. Today, I am very happy, and my party is also pleased that the court has declared us innocent.”
Medha Somaiya had alleged that Raut made false and defamatory statements against her and her husband in the media. Raut accused her of being involved in a purported ₹100 crore scam related to the construction of public toilets in the Mira-Bhayandar area. Somaiya claimed these allegations were entirely baseless and aimed at damaging her reputation.
Initially, a magistrate’s court found Raut guilty of defamation, sentencing him to 15 days in jail and imposing a fine of ₹25,000. However, a temporary stay was granted on the sentence to allow for an appeal in a higher court. Subsequently, Raut challenged this decision in the sessions court.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court reserved its decision, which was announced on Thursday, overturning the magistrate court’s ruling and acquitting Sanjay Raut of all charges.
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