#MeToo: Priya Ramani ignited flame to hurt his fame, M J Akbar tells courtroom
Former Union minister M J Akbar instructed a Delhi courtroom on Monday that hurt to his fame was carried out by journalist Priya Ramani as she instigated and ignited the flame first when she accused him of sexual misconduct that allegedly happened many years in the past.
Akbar was replying to Ramani’s argument that she was not alone however many ladies journalists have accused him of sexual miscount however he filed a defamation criticism solely towards her.
Akbar made the submission earlier than Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ravindra Kumar by senior advocate Geeta Luthra through the closing listening to in a legal criticism filed by him towards Ramani for allegedly defaming him by accusing him of sexual misconduct, when he was a journalist greater than 20 years in the past.
Ramani had made allegation of sexual misconduct towards Akbar within the wake of #MeToo motion in 2018.
“It doesn’t matter what people say post facto. Harm is done by the man who instigates and ignites the flame first,” Luthra instructed the courtroom.
She mentioned there was no public curiosity in Ramani’s allegation.
“There is no public interest. There is no good faith. There is just some other motive. It is not for me to state it,” she mentioned.
She added that “it is vindictive and actuated out of malice. The fact is your can just spoil a person’s reputation”.
The courtroom will additional hear the matter on January 23.
Akbar had filed a legal defamation criticism towards Ramani on October 15, 2018.
He resigned as Union minister on October 17, 2018.
Akbar had earlier instructed the courtroom that Ramani had defamed him by calling him with adjectives corresponding to ‘media’s largest predator’ that harmed his fame.
He has denied all of the allegations of sexual harassment towards the ladies who got here ahead throughout #MeToo marketing campaign towards him.
Over 20 ladies got here up with accounts of the alleged sexual harassment by Akbar whereas they have been working as journalists beneath him.
