Sessions Court Grants Bail to Sanjay Raut as He Challenges Conviction in Defamation Case

Mumbai: A sessions court here on Friday granted bail to Shiv Sena (UBT) leer Sanjay Raut as he challenged his conviction in a defamation case filed by BJP leer Kirit Somaiya's wife Medha Somaiya.

Raut has filed a revision application in sessions court against his conviction and 15-day jail sentence awarded by a magistrate's court.

Rajya Sabha member appeared before court on Friday and sought bail. court granted him bail in sum of Rs 50,000.

Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Aarti Kulkarni on September 26 held Raut guilty of defamation under Indian Penal Code section 500. Besides sentencing him to 15 days in jail, court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on him.

court, however, suspended sentence for 30 days to enable him file an appeal.

Raut, in his revision application before sessions court, said magistrate's order was "b in law and improper on facts".

Medha Somaiya h claimed that Raut me baseless and defamatory allegations in media against her and her husband, accusing m of being involved in a Rs 100 crore scam related to construction of public toilets in Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation area.

"As Raut appeared in person, we did not oppose his bail application, following which court granted it," said vocate Laxman Kanal, Somaiya's lawyer.