A Mumbai court on Thursday cancelled a bailable warrant issued against Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut after he appeared before it in connection with a defamation complaint filed by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya’s wife Medha Somaiya. The Sewri metropolitan magistrate’s court had last month issued a process (summons) against Raut, asking him to appear before it on July 4. However, he did not turn up before the court then following which a bailable warrant was issued against him. On Thursday, Raut along with his lawyers appeared before the magistrate and moved a plea for cancellation of the warrant, which the court allowed.
The court also accepted the Rajya Sabha member’s bail plea and released him on a personal bond of Rs 15,000. Earlier, the court while issuing summons had held that documents and video clips produced on record prima facie revealed the accused made defamatory statements against the complainant (Medha Somaiya), so that it will be seen by the public at large and read by people in newspapers. It was also prima-facie proved by the complainant that the words spoken by Raut were such that it harmed the reputation of the complainant, the court had said. Medha Somaiya in her complaint alleged that Raut had made baseless and completely defamatory allegations against her and her husband, accusing them of being involved in a scam worth Rs 100 crore over the construction and maintenance of some public toilets under the jurisdiction of the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation.
She had urged the court to begin proceedings against Raut on charges of defamation, as defined under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code.
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