DEFAMATION CASE: DELHI HC SEEKS RAMANI’S REPLY ON AKBAR’S PLEA

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Wednesday sought the response of journalist Priya Ramani on former Union minister M J Akbar’s appeal against a trial court order which dismissed a criminal defamation case filed by him against her over allegations of sexual harassment.

In his appeal, Akbar said that the trial court had decided the case as though it was a sexual harassment case instead of a defamation case.

“The impugned judgement, being based on surmises and conjecture, cannot stand muster even from a prima facie view, and therefore, is liable to be set aside,” he said.

Justice Mukta Gupta issued notice to Ramani on the appeal and listed it for further hearing on January 13.

Appearing for Akbar, senior advocates Rajiv Nayar and Geeta Luthra contended that the trial court erroneously acquitted Ramani in spite of concluding that her allegations were defamatory in nature.

They said that the trial court has also not answered several issues which it had said would be decided later.

The court responded by saying that finding any content defamatory is the “first step” in the proceedings, after which the trial court has to consider the defense of the accused. “The trial court says per se they are defamatory and but in the context of which she made the allegations, there was a valid defense,” the judge stated.

Senior counsel Luthra contended that the trial court handed out the verdict without considering any objections raised during the trial.