AKBAR FILES DEFAMATION CASE AGAINST JOURNALIST

NEW DELHI: Union minister MJ Akbar on Monday filed a criminal defamation suit against journalist Priya Ramani, the first woman to accuse him of sexual harassment, calling the allegations false and malicious amid widespread demands for his resignation.

The lawsuit claimed Ramani “intentionally put forward malicious, fabricated and salacious” allegations to harm the former editor’s reputation. Ramani is one of at least 10 journalists to have separately accused Akbar of sexual harassment and misconduct.

Reacting to Akbar’s lawsuit, Ramani said in a statement that she is “ready to fight allegations of defamation laid against me, as truth and the absolute truth is my only defence.”

“Those who have spoken up against Mr Akbar have done so at great risk to their personal and professional lives. At this moment, it is disingenuous to ask why they have spoken now, as we are well aware of the stigma and shame that sexual crimes inflict upon victims,” Ramani said.

“This is why I wish to register my strong protest against Mr Akbar’s most recent statement, which pays no heed to the trauma and fear of survivors or the courage required to speak truth to power,” she added.

Akbar’s plea said: “The accused (Ramani) has made false, derogatory and malicious imputations against the complainant (Akbar)...”