Former Union minister MJ Akbar claimed tweets by journalist Priya Ramani caused ‘irreparable damage’ to his reputation while deposing before the Court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on 4 May. Akbar denied allegations of sexual harassment levelled by Ramani as he deposed before the court in connection to a defamation case he had filed against her.
Akbar however, repeatedly said ‘I do not remember’, while being cross questioned by Ramani’s counsel, advocate Rebecca John soon after.
While mentioning that Ramani’s tweet was based on an article that she had written in Vogue in 2017, Akbar claimed the tweets were a ‘curious anomaly’, reported Bar and Bench.
“The original article in Vogue did not contain my name. I can infer that this was because the inclusion of my name would have been defamatory. The tweet however referred specifically to me.”MJ Akbar
Terming the language of Priya Ramani’s tweets “deeply offensive, mala fide, in bad faith and a web of fabrication spun out of lies,” the former minister told the court that,
“This affected my public reputation as well as my standing within family and friends. The allegations made are false; however in order to protect my reputation, I sought the justice of this court.”
Akbar stated that in this context, he chose to resign from his position as the MoS and
“decided to seek justice” in his personal capacity as the allegation had also been made in his personal capacity. Claiming that Ramani’s tweets became the “basis of articles that amounted to aggravated defamation,” Akbar said that,
“The immediate reaction was, of course, from family and close friends who were profoundly hurt. Some old colleagues also were extremely upset…only after hearing my version, they began to understand the nature of the assault of my reputation.”
Defending his defamation suit against Ramani, Akbar wound up his deposition by concluding that the allegations against him were false.
Akbar Dodges Ramani’s Counsel’s Questions?
MJ Akbar was then cross-questioned by Priya Ramani’s lawyer, Rebecca John. For most questions however, Akbar stated that he couldn’t remember the events being mentioned.
Bar and Bench reported that when asked if the Delhi High Court issued a contempt notice to him in 2003 when he was editor-in-chief of The Asian Age for deliberate false reporting of court proceedings, Akbar said, “I do not remember”.
The pattern followed in the questions that followed. When asked if Ramani first met him in The Asian Age office in Bombay in 1993 when she was looking for a job, Akbar said he did not remember.
When asked by the counsel, “You told her that you were busy and asked her to meet you at the Oberoi Hotel at 7 pm?” MJ Akbar responded, “I do not remember.”
MJ Akbar had filed a defamation suit against Priya Ramani after she and many other women accused him of sexual harassment in October 2018 through the MeToo movement. Ramani’s claims were backed by at least 20 other women who had also pledged to testify on sexual misconduct by Akbar during his stints at The Telegraph and The Asian Age.
Cross-examination in the defamation case will continue on 20 May.
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