Shiv Sena (UBT) Leader Sanjay Raut Granted Bail In Defamation Case

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut was granted bail by a Mumbai court on Thursday after being convicted in a defamation case filed by Medha Somaiya, the wife of BJP leader Kirit Somaiya.

Raut was sentenced to 15 days of simple imprisonment by Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Aarti Kulkarni. He was found guilty under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with punishment for defamation. Along with the jail term, a fine of INR 25,000 was imposed on the Rajya Sabha MP.

Raut, however, was given a 30-day suspension of his sentence, allowing him time to appeal. His lawyer submitted applications for both suspension of the sentence and bail, both of which were granted by the court.

Medha Somaiya had filed the defamation case after Raut made accusations against her and her husband, linking them to an alleged Rs 100 crore scam related to the construction and maintenance of public toilets under the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation.

"The statements made by the accused to the media are per se defamatory. The statements have been made to malign my character in the eyes of the general public," Medha Somaiya stated in her complaint, filed through advocate Vivekanand Gupta.

Reacting to the verdict, Kirit Somaiya commented, "Today, the punishment has been given to Uddhav Thackeray as Sanjay Raut is a leader of his party. They both are now exposed. In 28 months, Sanjay Raut couldn't bring a single document."

He added, "The court said that this is the first time and that's why the sentence is 15 days. If it happens again, the punishment will not be less than 2-5 years."

Somaiya also criticised the alleged influence of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government at the time, claiming it prevented the police from accepting his wife's complaint against Raut.

"We tried filing a police complaint against Raut, but it was not accepted because of Thackeray's pressure. We approached the local court here on May 18, 2022, and today, it gave its judgment," Somaiya said.

Medha Somaiya affirmed that she and her husband would not stand for false accusations, stating, "This case against Raut would set an example for society. If someone tries to tarnish me or my organization, I will stand up against it."