#MeToo Row: Delhi Court Grants Bail to Priya Ramani in Defamation Case Filed by MJ Akbar; Next Hearing on March 8

A Delhi court on Monday granted bail to journalist Priya Ramani on personal bond of Rs 10,000 in the defamation case filed against her by former Union minister MJ Akbar over her #MeToo allegations.

New Delhi: The Patiala House Court on Monday granted bail to senior journalist Priya Ramani on a personal bail bond of Rs 10,000, while hearing a criminal defamation case filed against her by former Union minister MJ Akbar over the #MeToo row.

The court has set March 8 as the next date of hearing.

Journalist Priya Ramani after being granted bail by Patiala House Court in connection with criminal defamation complaint by MJ Akbar: The next date when they will frame the charges against me is April 10. After that it will be my turn to tell my story. The truth is my defence. pic.twitter.com/mxRadNVYua

— ANI (@ANI) February 25, 2019

Priya Ramani appeared before a Delhi court in connection to the defamation case filed against her by MJ Akbar– after she among several other women leveled charges of sexual abuse on him during the #MeToo movement.

Ramani accused MJ Akbar of sexual harassment , when he was a media personality, working with a leading national newspaper. MJ Akbar quit as the Minister of State for External Affairs 10 days after nearly 20 women accused him of sexual misconduct- with one Ghazala Wahab accusing him of molestation.

The severe nature of accusations resulted in MJ Akbar not only resigning from the Union cabinet but also subsequently filing a criminal defamation case against Ramani. The accounts of women continued to pour even after Akbar had filed the defamation case and men, who had worked in the newspapers he edited, also came out in support of the women.

The court had on January 11 recorded the statements of three more witnesses in support of the case filed by Akbar.

In total, seven people (including Akbar) have recorded their statements in the criminal defamation complaint. All the witnesses who concluded their statements in favour of Akbar said that his impeccable reputation built over the years was tarnished in their eyes and caused grave damage to his reputation by tweets and publications. Priya Ramani was then summoned by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal.

Akbar, a former Congress MP who had joined the BJP ahead of Lok Sabha elections in 2014, was inducted into the government in 2016.