MJ Akbar deposes in criminal defamation case filed against lady journalist
New Delhi, May 4 (UNI) Former Union minister M J Akbar was cross examined on Saturday in a criminal defamation case he had filed against journalist Priya Ramani who had levelled allegations of sexual misconduct against him.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal set May 20 for the next hearing.
Akbar, who resigned as MoS for External Affairs on October 17 last year, had filed a defamation case against Ms Ramani.
She had accused Akbar of sexual misconduct around 20 years ago, which was denied by him.
Akbar termed baseless and politically motivated all the allegations of sexual misconduct by about 20 women against him.
In the wake of the scandal, Akbar stepped down from the Union Government and then filed a criminal defamation complaint against Ramani after his name cropped up on social media as "Me Too" campaign raged on in India.
Counsel for Ms Ramani today cross examined Akbar before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal.
Akbar submitted before the court that allegations as levelled by Ramani were defamatory and malafide.
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