Court rejects discharge plea of Uddhav, Sanjay Raut

MUMBAI: A court here on Thursday rejected the discharge application filed by Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray and party MP Sanjay Raut in a defamation case filed against them by the rival Shiv Sena faction leader Rahul Shewale.

In his complaint, Shewale has accused them of publishing defamatory articles against him in Sena (UBT) mouthpiece “Saamana”.

While Thackeray is the editor of “Saamana”, Raut is its executive editor. Shewale is the group leader of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in the Lok Sabha.

The plea filed by former Maharashtra chief minister Thackeray and Rajya Sabha member Raut seeking discharge in the case was rejected by the metropolitan magistrate (Mazgaon court) S B Kale. The court’s detailed order was not yet available.

The court adjourned the matter till November 9 for recording of the evidence.

Shewale has sought action against the two leaders under the Indian Penal Code sections 500 (punishment for defamation) and 501 (printing or engraving matter knowing it to be defamatory) for publishing “defamatory” articles against him in the Marathi and Hindi editions of “Saamana”.