Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut filed a defamation suit against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya in the Mulund Magistrate court, on Monday. Raut claimed that Somaiya made several accusations against him through social media posts, accusing him of various scams.
According to Sanjay Raut, these posts, dated back to 2022, on August 9, August 24, January 22 and June 13, were made to tarnish Raut's reputation.
Raut, in his petition, said that in one of Somaiya’s tweets, he specifically accused Sanjay Raut for his alleged involvement in a Rs 100 crore Covid center scam. He (Somaiya) apparently made statements suggesting that Raut should be in jail.
Raut said that these unwarranted and malicious statements were published in various publications, resulting in damage to his reputation and goodwill, in his petition.
According to Advocate Sandeep Singh, representing Raut, “The petition also states that the Bombay High Court had asked Somaiya to think twice before speaking anything, being an ex-MP. But, the accused (Somaiya) is not obeying the court.”
The petition states that a legal notice was served to Somaiya before approaching the court, asking for an apology within 72 hours. However, Somaiya didn’t comply with the demand.
Raut, who resides within the jurisdiction of the Mulund court, saw these tweets at his home, prompting him to seek legal relief from the Mulund Magistrate court.
The petitioner is seeking action against Somaiya under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Website designed, developed and maintained by webexy