January 29, 2019:

On Tuesday, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sh. Samar Vishal of the Patiala House Court has summoned journalist Priya Ramani in the defamation case filed against her by former Union Minister MJ Akbar.

The court has summoned Priya Ramani to appear before it on February 25 in a defamation case filed by former Union minister MJ Akbar after she levelled allegations of sexual misconduct against him.

Akbar's counsel and senior advocate Geeta Luthra and lawyer Sandeep Kapur told the court that Ramani had damaged Akbar's reputation which he had built over the years through hard work.

Ramani was the first in a long list of women journalists to accuse the former Minister of State for External Affairs and journalist-turned-politician of the charges of sexual harassment. Ramani accused Akbar of sexual misconduct around 20 years ago, which was denied by him.

The statements of seven witnesses, including that of Akbar, who is now with the Bharatiya Janata Party, have been recorded.

The Rajya Sabha member has denied all charges against him as "false, wild and baseless".

Akbar, who resigned as Union minister on October 17 last year, filed a private criminal defamation complaint against Ramani after his name cropped up on social media as the #MeToo campaign raged on in India.

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