Union Minister MJ Akbar, accused of sexual harassment by more than a dozen women in India’s #MeToo movement, has sued the woman who had first named him – journalist Priya Ramani .
His criminal defamation case names Ramani as the sole accused and says she ‘intentionally put forward malicious, fabricated and salacious’ allegations to harm his goodwill and reputation.
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The women, who have over the past few days recounted instances of alleged sexual misconduct by Akbar include journalists Ghazala Wahab, Suparna Sharma, Harinder Baweja, Anju Bharti and Kanika Gahlaut.
The criminal defamation case was filed in the Patiala House court in New Delhi, seeking relief under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. The suit was filed by senior partner Sandeep Kapur of Karanjawala & Co. and is yet to come up for hearing in court.
The plea contended that irreparable damage has been done to Akbar’s reputation.
“The scandalous allegations levelled by the accused, by the very tone and tenor are ex-facie defamatory and have not only damaged the goodwill and reputation of the complainant in his social circles and on the political stage but affected his personal reputation in the community, friends, family,” it said.
The journalist ‘willfully, deliberately, intentionally and maliciously defamed” him on “completely false, frivolous, unjustifiable and scandalous grounds,” the minister has alleged.
However, Ramani said ‘truth and the absolute truth are my only defence’ and asserted she was ready to fight the case.
“MJ Akbar seeks to silence through intimidation and harassment. Those who have spoken against Akbar have done so at great risk to personal and professional lives,” she said in a statement.
On Sunday, after returning from a foreign trip, Akbar had made it clear he would contest the allegations of sexual misconduct rather than resign.
“Accusation without evidence has become a viral fever among some sections,” said Akbar, 67, in his first detailed response to the allegations that exploded while he was away and provoked calls for his sacking. He implied a link to the upcoming general election.
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The former editor of newspapers like The Telegraph and the Asian Age was named by Ramani on October 8, as the man she had written about in a magazine article a year ago, when the Harvey Weinstein scandal in the US set off an avalanche of #MeToo allegations. At that time she had not disclosed Akbar, choosing to address the perpetrator as ‘Mr Editor’.
After Ramani named him, more women posted their eerily similar stories on social media, primarily Twitter, against Akbar.
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The minister for state for external affairs returned to work on Monday and attended meetings as many journalists threatened to boycott his events and Congress workers protested outside his home.
Akbar is among the highest-profile figures so far to face accusations in the #MeToo movement in India. Several powerful men from media, entertainment and the arts have been caught in the allegations.
Asked about the allegations, the ruling BJP said today: “It is not about agreeing or disagreeing. He has presented his version.”
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