Mumbai: In a significant ruling, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has been sentenced to 15 days in jail following a defamation case brought against him by Dr. Medha Kirit Somaiya, the wife of BJP leader Kirit Somaiya. The Sewri Court, under the jurisdiction of a metropolitan magistrate, found Raut guilty under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code, also imposing a fine of ₹25,000, which will be awarded to the complainant.
The case stemmed from allegations made by Medha Somaiya, who claimed that Raut had falsely accused her and her husband of involvement in a ₹100 crore scam related to the construction and maintenance of public toilets within the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation’s jurisdiction. In her complaint, she asserted that Raut’s statements to the media were defamatory, severely damaging her reputation and causing her mental anguish.
The controversy ignited on April 12, 2022, when Raut published an article in Saamana, the mouthpiece of the Shiv Sena, in which he accused Medha Somaiya and her NGO, Yuva Pratishthan, of orchestrating a multi-crore toilet scam. He alleged that she had exploited her political connections to secure a contract for constructing 16 toilets in the Mira-Bhayander area, claiming that over ₹3.9 crore had been misappropriated.
In response to the court’s decision, Medha Somaiya expressed her satisfaction with the verdict, stating, “I am happy that I got justice, and the allegations against me and my family have been proven false. I fought to secure justice, as any woman in my position would do. The court has respected my roles as both a teacher and a social worker.”
Kirit Somaiya added that the couple had previously reported their grievances to former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and the then-police commissioner, but no action was taken. Consequently, Medha filed a formal legal complaint on May 18, 2022.
Following the court’s ruling, Sanjay Raut was taken into custody by police. Kirit Somaiya remarked on the significance of the judgment, stating, “The campaign that Sanjay Raut had waged for so long has been challenged, and today, the judge, in the form of God, has taught him a lesson and punished him.”
This ruling marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing saga of political accusations and public reputation, underscoring the importance of accountability in public discourse.
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