Not before me: Justice Bobade says of Rane's suit against 'Saamna'

Mumbai, Jan 23 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today refused to hear a defamation suit against Shiv Sena mouthpiece ''Saamna,'' filed by former party leader Narayan Rane who has sought damages to the tune of Rs 25 crore.

Mr Rane had moved the court, alleging that the ''Saamna'' has launched a vilification campaign against him.

Justice S A Bobade refused to hear the suit on the ground that he had earlier represented Shiv Sena leaders Sanjay Raut and Subhash Desai, who are respondents in the suit, as a lawyer before he became a judge.

''Not before me'', Justice Bobade said in his order while refusing to hear the suit. He observed that the matter should be referred to the bench headed by acting chief justice H C Gokhale, which would assign a new bench to hear the matter.

Advocate Satish Mane-Shinde, who is representing Mr Rane, sought a ''Court Note'' to restrain the newspaper from publishing defamatory material against Mr Rane or repeating the allegations.

The newspaper has been publishing highly defamatory articles against Mr Rane since the last one-and-half years ever since he quit the Shiv Sena to join the Congress, the lawyer told the court.

The newspaper has described Mr Rane as a ''goonda'', a street-fighter and even as a ''wanted accused'', he added, contending that the newspaper had launched the vilification campaign against Mr Rane to malign him before the public and lower the image of the Congress.

UNI