Former Union minister MJ Akbar ’s lawyer on Saturday told a Delhi court that social media trial was unacceptable in a country that follows ...
Former Union minister MJ Akbar’s lawyer on Saturday told a Delhi court that social media trial was unacceptable in a country that follows the rule of law, Bar and Bench reported. Senior Advocate Geeta Luthra was making submissions on behalf of Akbar in a criminal defamation case, filed by him against journalist Priya Ramani over allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment.
Ramani had accused Akbar of sexual harassment in 2018, when the #MeToo movement began in India. Following this, Akbar resigned from the Union Council of Ministers.
During Saturday’s hearing, Luthra took reference from a previous judgement to counter Ramani’s 2017 article in Vogue India, where she first made the allegations without naming Akbar. She eventually named Akbar in 2018. Luthra said past judgements show that journalists have no special privilege and that comments made by them in articles cannot amount to be defamatory, according to Bar and Bench reported.
“Press Council says you have to be responsible,” Luthra argued. “There are judgements that say you cannot have a parallel trial. Here, there is a trial by a person on social media...it is unacceptable in a country ruled by rule of law.”
Luthra reiterated that the allegations against Akbar were “fabricated and false”, and raised questions over Ramani deleting her Twitter account, which she said contained...
