Sanjay Raut Sentenced to 15 Days Jail in Defamation Case

A court in Mumbai on Thursday convicted Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut in a defamation case, sentencing him to 15 days of imprisonment, reports said.

Reportedly, a Metropolitan Magistrate in Mumbai's Mazgaon convicted Raut in the case and also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000, which he is required to pay to the complainant, Medha Kirit Somaiya, wife of BJP leader Kirit Somaiya. The conviction was made under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code, according to Somaiya's advocate.

Following the verdict, Kirit Somaiya informed reporters, "Sanjay Raut has been sentenced to 15-day imprisonment; he has been taken into custody. A Rs 25,000 fine has been imposed on him. He will have to pay this sum to complainant Medha Somaiya."

The case stems from a Rs 100 crore defamation suit filed by Medha Somaiya in the Bombay High Court in May 2022. The suit was in response to allegations made by Raut, accusing Medha Somaiya and her husband of being involved in a Rs 100 crore scam related to the construction of public toilets under the jurisdiction of the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation.

Medha Somaiya's complaint stated that Raut, who serves as the Executive Editor of the Marathi newspaper SAAMNA and as the chief spokesperson for Shiv Sena, made "malicious and unwarranted" statements against her in April 2022. These statements were widely circulated through print, electronic, and social media, prompting her to take legal action.

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