Akbar files defamation case against journalist
Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar has filed a defamation lawsuit against a journalist who accused him of sexual harassment, his lawyers said yesterday, as the #MeToo movement continues to gain ground in the country.
Akbar, 67, a prominent newspaper editor-turned-politician, is the most high-profile figure so far in India to be linked to #MeToo, which began in the United States in response to allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
More than a dozen women who worked with Akbar during his days as an editor have come out with allegations ranging from sexual harassment to assault.
Akbar, who returned from an official trip abroad on Sunday, called the allegations “false” and “baseless” and had warned of legal action.
Akbar’s lawyers filed the case against Priya Ramani - the first female journalist to name him under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code, which relate to criminal defamation.
In the suit, Akbar accused Ramani of “wilfully, deliberately, intentionally and maliciously defaming” him on “completely false, frivolous, unjustifiable and scandalous grounds,” according to his lawyer Sandeep Kapur.
The minister said the journalist had caused “great humiliation” to him, irreparably damaging his reputation in the eyes of public as well as his family, friends, colleagues and the political fraternity.
His lawyer said the woman journalist had mentioned incidents which allegedly occurred 20 years ago and she had simultaneously admitted that Akbar had not done anything to her.
Akbar listed two senior women journalist and four other people as witnesses to prove his defamation charges against the woman.
Kapur said Akbar was a veteran journalist and had authored several renowned books.
He had a long career in journalism and launched India’s first weekly political news magazine, Sunday, in 1976, and two daily newspapers The Telegraph and The Asian Age in 1989 and 1994 respectively.
It was not clear whether Akbar would be suing other journalists who have made allegations against him.
“The truth is the best defence in any defamation case. I’m not worried,” Ramani told the Kolkata-based Telegraph on Sunday, before legal proceedings were confirmed.
And yesterday Ramani said Akbar was trying to “silence” the voices “through intimidation and harassment”.
“I am deeply disappointed that a union minister should dismiss the detailed allegations of several women as a political conspiracy. By instituting a case of criminal defamation against me, Akbar has made his stand clear,” Ramani said in a statement that she shared on social media.
“Rather than engage with the serious allegations that many women have made against him, he seeks to silence them through intimidation and harassment,” she added.
In another major case arising out of the #MeToo storm, actor Alok Nath filed a defamation case against writer-producer Vinta Nanda who accused him of raping her nearly 20 years ago.
Comedians, authors, actors, filmmakers and journalists have been outed on Twitter in recent days as alleged culprits.
India’s #MeToo campaign has gathered pace over the last fortnight after actress Tanushree Dutta claimed that she was harassed by a colleague on the set of a 2008 film.
Female journalists have expressed anger at Akbar’s denial saying he should resign pending investigations into the cases.