MJ Akbar

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday posted on September 19 former Union minister M J Akbar's appeal challenging the acquittal of journalist Priya Ramani in a criminal defamation case over her accusations of sexual harassment against him. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna deferred the hearing after Ramani's counsel sought an adjournment due to the unavailability of the senior lawyer arguing the case. "List it for argument on September 19," the court said. Akbar's counsel, on the other hand, sought the "shortest possible date" but the court refused and said it was only a criminal defamation matter. Akbar challenged the trial court's February 17, 2021 order acquitting Ramani on grounds that a woman had the right to put grievances before any platform of her choice even after decades. The high court on January 13, 2022, agreed to examine Akbar's appeal against the trial court verdict. Akbar's appeal argued the trial court decided his criminal defamation case on the basis of surmises and conjec

Akbar has challenged the trial court's February 17 order acquitting Ramani in the case

Former Union Minister Mubashar Jawed Akbar approached the Delhi High Court to challenge a trial court order which had dismissed the criminal defamation case filed by him against journalist Ramani

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Former Union minister M J Akbar Tuesday told a Delhi court that journalist Priya Ramani should have taken recourse to law instead of making allegation of sexual misconduct against him on social media.

Akbar had filed the complaint against Ramani for allegedly defaming him by accusing him of sexual misconduct around 20 years ago when he was a journalist

Priya Ramani told a Delhi court that she was targeted selectively through a defamation complaint by former M J Akbar to halt the avalanche of allegations of sexual misconduct against him

Mr Akbar tells this story with his usual diligence about facts and facets and his customary lucidity

The journalist, Pallavi Gogoi, narrated her alleged ordeal in a detailed column for the Washington Post, published on November 1

In the editorial, it also criticised the Maharashtra government's proposal of online sale and home delivery of liquor

More than half a dozen women journalists have accused Akbar of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour