The court docket will additional hear the arguments on September eight. (File)
New Delhi:
Journalist Priya Ramani instructed a Delhi court docket on Saturday that her remarks alleging sexual harassment by former Union minister MJ Akbar have been “her reality” which she disclosed in “good religion” for the “public good” and, subsequently, don’t quantity to defamation.
Ms Ramani submitted this earlier than Extra Chief Metropolitan Justice of the Peace Vishal Pahuja by way of her lawyer throughout the last listening to of a personal felony defamation grievance filed by Akbar towards her.
In the course of the #MeToo motion, Ms Ramani in 2018 accused MJ Akbar of sexual misconduct round 20 years in the past when he was a journalist.
MJ Akbar resigned as Union minister on October 17, 2018.
Senior advocate Rebecca John, showing for Ms Ramani, instructed the court docket on Saturday that as per legislation it isn’t defamation to impute something which is true regarding any individual whether it is for the general public good.
“A real imputation made within the public good is just not defamation… it isn’t defamation to make an imputation on the character of one other when it’s made in good religion for the safety of his or different’s curiosity,” she instructed the court docket throughout a digital listening to.
Ms John additional mentioned that “Priya Ramani’s alleged defamatory tweets and the Vogue article have been her reality. I’m saying that is my (Ramani’s) reality… it’s the reality, is in good religion, touching public good.”
The court docket will additional hear the arguments on September 8.
MJ Akbar had earlier instructed the court docket that Ms Ramani had defamed him by utilizing adjectives resembling “media’s largest predator” towards him that harmed his fame.
MJ Akbar has denied all of the allegations of sexual harassment towards the ladies who got here ahead throughout the #MeToo marketing campaign towards him.
MJ Akbar had instructed the court docket that the allegations made in an article within the ”Vogue” and the following tweets have been defamatory on the face of it because the complainant had deposed them to be false and imaginary and that “instant harm” was brought about to him as a result of “false” allegations by Priya Ramani.
Ms Ramani had earlier instructed the court docket that her “disclosure” of alleged sexual harassment by MJ Akbar has come at “an important private price” and he or she had “nothing to achieve” from it.
She had mentioned her transfer would empower ladies to talk up and make them perceive their rights on the office.
A number of ladies got here up with accounts of the alleged sexual harassment by MJ Akbar him whereas they have been working as journalists underneath him.
He has termed the allegations “false, fabricated and deeply distressing” and mentioned he was taking applicable authorized motion towards them.
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