Uddhav Thackeray's Close Aide Sanjay Raut Gets 15 Days' Jail in Defamation Case By BJP Leader's Wife

Mumbai: Uddhav Thackeray's close aide and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has been convicted in a defamation case and has been sent to jail.

Sanjay Raut Convicted in Defamation Case

The Mumbai Court has sentenced Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut to 15 days imprisonment in defamation case. According to Vivekanand Gupta, advocate of Dr. Medha Kirit Somaiya, the Metropolitan Magistrate Mazgaon has convicted Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut in the defamation case on a complaint filed by Dr. Medha Kirit Somaiya, wife of BJP leader Kirit Somaiya.

15 Days of Jail, Fine Imposed on Sanjay Raut

As per Vivekanand Gupta, advocate for Dr. Medha Kirit Somaiya, the Court has ordered a 15-day imprisonment for Sanjay Raut and has also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on him.

What Was Defamation Case Against Sanjay Raut?

Shewale, part of the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde -led Shiv Sena, has sought action against Thackeray and Raut under Indian Penal Code section 500 (defamation) for publishing "defamatory articles" against him in the Marathi and Hindi editions of Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

Shewale has taken objection to articles, published on December 29, 2022, alleging he had hotel and real estate businesses in Karachi in Pakistan . As per Shewale's plea, filed in January last year through advocate Chitra Salunkhe, the articles were "concocted" and "devoid of any merit".

Claiming innocence, Thackeray and Raut filed a discharge application before a magistrate court. The magistrate rejected their pleas in October 2023, saying CrPC does not contain any specific provision for discharge of the accused after issue of process in summary cases. 

(Inputs from PTI)