MJ Akbar moves Delhi HC against Priya Ramani's acquittal in defamation case; plea to be heard on March 25

MJ Akbar faced accusations of sexual misconduct during the 'MeToo movement' of 2018 (File image)

Former Union minister MJ Akbar has approached the Delhi High Court on March 24 to challenge the acquittal of journalist Priya Ramani in a criminal defamation case. His plea would be heard by the court on March 25.

The appeal is listed for hearing before a single-judge bench headed by Justice Mukul Gupta, Bar and Bench reports. The case would be taken up for hearing by the HC in just over a month after a lower court had cleared Ramani of the defamation charge.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ravindra Kumar Pandey, while announcing the judgment Akbar's defamation case on February 17, noted that Ramani's "disclosure was in the interest of anti sexual harassment at workplace".

"Woman has right to put her grievance even after decades," the order further said, while noting the absence of Vishakha guidelines at the time of the alleged incident of sexual misconduct.

Ramani, in a newspaper article written in 2018 - days after the #MeToo movement reached India - alleged that Akbar had "sexually harassed" her in December 1993 while calling for a job interview at The Oberoi hotel in Mumbai. Akbar was then the editor of Asian Age newspaper.

Ramani's article had led to a number of other women also levelling sexual misconduct allegations against the former news editor.

The court observed that even a "man of social status can be a sexual harasser". Sexual abuse takes away dignity and self confidence, it stated, adding that the "right of reputation can't be protected at the cost of right to dignity".

Akbar, who was arguably the tallest public figure in India to be hit by the MeToo movement, had resigned from the Narendra Modi-led government after the allegations against him had surfaced.

On October 15, 2018, he filed a criminal defamation complaint against Ramani, accusing her of levelling "malicious and fabricated" allegations to ruin his reputation.

Ramani, while responding to Akbar's lawsuit, had told the court that the defamation suit was attempted to "intimidate" the women who decided to break their silence after decades.