Court dismisses plea by Uddhav, Raut

MUMBAI: A special court on Monday dismissed a revision petition filed by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and party MP Sanjay Raut against a magistrate court order in a criminal defamation case filed by Rahul Shewale, a former MP. Special sessions judge for cases against MPs and MLAs, Aditi Kadam, dismissed the appeal and disposed off the application accordingly.

The case began in January 2023 after the then Lok Sabha MP from the Eknath Shinde-led party faction served a defamation notice to Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Thackeray and Raut, claiming that an article published in the Sena mouthpiece, Saamna, was defamatory. However, Thackeray and Raut had claimed that the article was written in the aftermath of a press conference based on a complaint filed by a woman.

The magistrate court in October last year had rejected the discharge plea of Thackeray and Raut, and the duo had subsequently approached the sessions court in June this year, seeking a review of the magistrate court order. Shewale’s advocate Chitra Salunkhe, during the last hearing, had cited the conduct of the applicant while requesting the court to dismiss the revision plea of Thackeray and Raut.

Shewale had filed a complaint based on the article that had the headline - ‘Rahul Shewale has a hotel, real estate business in Karachi’- published in Saamna on December 29, 2022, alleging that he has undisclosed assets acquired through wrongful methods in the neighbouring country.

He had claimed that the article was an example of vendetta journalism, adding that it was an attempt to damage his reputation after his exit from the party. He had sought action against the two under section 500 of IPC (punishment for defamation) for allegedly publishing defamatory articles against him.

However, Thackeray and Raut, in their discharge application, had observed that there was no evidence against them. They claimed to be innocent and said they were “falsely implicated in the alleged offence based on suspicion”.

In their revision pleas filed before the sessions court, Thackeray and Raut had stated their fundamental right to freedom and expression, while observing that the press have a right to publish interviews of politicians. The duo had filed a condonation of delay in filing the review plea, which was also allowed by the court.