Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Vishal Pahuja, on Tuesday, 13 October, informed that, only matters filed against MPs and MLAs can be listed before the Rouse Avenue Court, where the defamation case brought on by MJ Akbar against journalist Priya Ramani was being heard so far. He cited Supreme Court directions as the reason for the same.
ACMM Pahuja further informed that the matter will now be listed before a District and Sessions Judge, on Thursday, for appropriate orders.
If the case is transferred, it can be expected that the final arguments will have to be made all over again.
Incidentally, MJ Akbar’s lawyer Geeta Luthra was going to give her rebuttal, on Tuesday, to to defence counsel Rebecca John’s final arguments.
Ramani’s lawyer Rebecca John quoted US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as she concluded her final arguments in the case, on 19 September.