Advocate Geeta Luthra, appearing for former Union Minister MJ Akbar in his defamation case against journalist Priya Ramani, began her final submission afresh before the Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday, 24 November.
Luthra began with submissions on Akbar’s professional life and said that he had a “long and illustrious career.”
This development comes in the aftermath of the transfer of ACMM Vishal Pahuja who had so far been hearing the case and had heard the final arguments already.
On Saturday, 21 November, newly-appointed Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ravindra Kumar Pandey who is now hearing the matter, asked if there was any scope for a settlement, as the case was compoundable.
In response to the same, Advocate Bhavook Chauhan, appearing for Priya Ramani answered in negative. Senior Advocate Geeta Luthra, appearing for MJ Akbar, however, said that she would have to take instructions from her briefing counsel.
At the end of Tuesday’s hearing too, the court asked Ramani’s counsel if there had been been a chance to talk “or are the doors shut”, to which Advocate Bhavook Chauhan had replied: “No, our stand is clear.”