2 MORE TESTIFY IN AKBAR CASE

NEWDELHI:A Delhi court on Friday recorded the statement of two witnesses — Sunil Gujral and Veenu Sandal — in a criminal defamation case filed by former Union minister MJ Akbar against journalist Priya Ramani who had made allegations of sexual assault against Akbar.

The two witnesses and former colleagues of Akbar, who recorded their statements before additional chief metropolitan magistrate informed the court that they were shocked when they came to know about the allegations against Akbar.

Gujral, publisher of The Sunday Guardian, said: “I spoke to Akbar thereafter as I felt embarrassed and let down. Besides this, my embarrassment was compounded as friends and acquaintances, who knew of all my old association with Akbar for almost 40 years, started asking embarrassing questions. This made me feel very bad since I felt that irreparable damage has been done to Akbar’s reputation.”