MP Sanjay Raut sentenced to 15 days imprisonment in defamation case

A court in Mumbai on Thursday (September 26) sentenced Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut to 15 days of simple imprisonment in a defamation case.

A defamation complaint was filed by Dr. Medha Kirit Somaiya, wife of BJP leader Kirit Somaiya.

The metropolitan magistrate (Sewree court) convicted the Rajya Sabha member under Indian Penal Code Section 500 (punishment for defamation) and also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on him.

Medha, in her complaint filed through advocate Vivekanand Gupta, had alleged that Raut made baseless and completely defamatory allegations against her and her husband.

She said Raut had accused them of being involved in a Rs 100 crore scam over the construction and maintenance of some public toilets under the jurisdiction of 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," the complaint had stated.

(With agency inputs)