MJ Akbar resigns over #Metoo
New Delhi: M J Akbar's criminal defamation complaint against journalist Priya Ramani, who has accused him of sexual misconduct around 20 years ago, is scheduled to come up for hearing on Thursday in the Patiala House court here.
Akbar on Wednesday tendered his resignation as Minister of State for External Affairs.
His lawyer, Sandeep Kapur of law firm Karanjawala & Co, said that the private criminal defamation case would come up for hearing on Thursday before additional chief metropolitan magistrate Samar Vishal.
The lawyer also forwarded the brief resignation letter of Akbar, who was associated with several media houses in the past.
"Since I have decided to seek justice in a court of law in my personal capacity, I deem it appropriate to step down from office and challenge false accusations levied against me, also in a personal capacity. I have, therefore, tendered my resignation from the office of Minister of State for External Affairs. I am deeply grateful to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and to the External Affairs Minister Smt Sushma Swaraj for the opportunity they gave me to serve my country," Akbar said in his letter.
Kapur said since the matter is sub-judice, the law will take its own course.
"Since we have already filed the defamation case, we will pursue it in the court," he said.
Akbar on Monday had filed the criminal defamation complaint against Ramani alleging she "willfully" and "maliciously" made allegations against him with the ulterior motive of maligning his reputation and political standing.
Expressing her readiness to fight the defamation allegations, Ramani had said, "Rather than engage with the serious allegations that many women have made against him, he (Akbar) seeks to silence them through intimidation and harassment."
Akbar's plea had listed alleged defamatory imputations made by Ramani on social media and also referred to his "long and illustrious" career as a journalist while terming the allegations of Ramani as a "figment of her imagination".
"While it is apparent that the accused has resorted to a series of maliciously serious allegations which she is diabolically and viciously spreading in media, it is also apparent that false narrative against the complainant (Akbar) is being circulated in a motivated manner for the fulfilment of an agenda," it alleged.
It had termed as "scandalous" the allegations made by Ramani and said "very tone and tenor" are "ex-facie defamatory" and they have not only damaged his goodwill and reputation in his social circle but also affected Akbar's reputation in "the community, friends, family and colleagues" and caused "irreparable loss" and "tremendous distress".
Akbar's name had cropped up in the social media campaign #Metoo against alleged sexual harassment when he was in Nigeria. Hours after returning home, Akbar had termed the allegations levelled against him by several women as "false, fabricated and deeply distressing" and said he was taking appropriate legal action against them.
