Shiv Sena Leader Sanjay Raut Sentenced to 15 Days in Jail for Defamation
A Metropolitan Magistrate in Mazgaon, Mumbai, has sentenced Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut to 15 days of simple imprisonment. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on him. This decision comes from a defamation case filed by Medha Kirit Somaiya, the wife of BJP leader Kirit Somaiya.
Raut was convicted under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code. Kirit Somaiya told 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.”
In May 2022, Medha Kirit Somaiya filed a Rs 100 crore defamation suit against Raut in the Bombay High Court. Raut had accused Medha and her husband of being involved in a Rs 100 crore scam related to the construction of public toilets under the jurisdiction of Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation.
Medha Somaiya’s complaint stated that Raut, who is the Executive Editor of Marathi Newspaper “SAAMNA” and the chief spokesman of Shiv Sena, made malicious and unwarranted statements against her in the media. These statements were widely circulated through electronic, print, and social media platforms.
Doubts Revealed
Shiv Sena -: Shiv Sena is a political party in India, mainly based in the state of Maharashtra. It was founded by Bal Thackeray in 1966.
Sanjay Raut -: Sanjay Raut is a politician and a member of the Shiv Sena party. He is also a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, which is the upper house of India’s Parliament.
Defamation -: Defamation means saying or writing something bad about someone that is not true, which can harm their reputation. In this case, Sanjay Raut said something bad about Medha Somaiya.
UBT -: UBT stands for Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, who is a leader in the Shiv Sena party. It helps to identify the faction of the party led by him.
Metropolitan Magistrate -: A Metropolitan Magistrate is a type of judge in India who deals with minor criminal cases in big cities like Mumbai.
Mumbai -: Mumbai is a big city in India and the capital of the state of Maharashtra. It is also known as the financial capital of India.
Section 500 -: Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code is a law that deals with punishment for defamation. If someone is found guilty, they can be sent to jail or fined.
Indian Penal Code -: The Indian Penal Code is a set of laws in India that defines various crimes and their punishments.
Medha Kirit Somaiya -: Medha Kirit Somaiya is the wife of Kirit Somaiya, who is a leader in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), another political party in India.
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party, which is one of the major political parties in India. It is currently the ruling party in the central government.
Rs 25,000 -: Rs 25,000 means 25,000 Indian Rupees, which is the currency of India. It is the amount of money Sanjay Raut has to pay as a fine.
Rs 100 crore -: Rs 100 crore means 1 billion Indian Rupees. It is a large amount of money, and in this case, it refers to the scam Sanjay Raut accused the Somaiyas of being involved in.
