A Mumbai court on Thursday sentenced Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut to 15 days of simple imprisonment for defamation, following a complaint by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya’s wife, Medha Somaiya. The Sewree court’s metropolitan magistrate found the Rajya Sabha member guilty under Indian Penal Code Section 500 (punishment for defamation) and fined him Rs 25,000. Medha Somaiya, represented by advocate Vivekanand Gupta, claimed that Raut made baseless and defamatory allegations against her and her husband.
She accused Raut of alleging their involvement in a Rs 100 crore scam related to the construction and maintenance of public toilets under the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation’s jurisdiction. “The accused’s statements to the media are inherently defamatory. They were made to tarnish my reputation in the public eye,” her complaint stated.