Uddhav Thackeray, Sanjay Raut Get Bail In Defamation Case By Shinde Group MP. Both Plead Not Guilty

Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut pleaded not guilty in a defamation case put up by Shide faction's Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut ouside the Sessions Court in Mumbai, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023.

Source : PTI

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MP Sanjay Raut on Monday pleaded not guilty in a case pertaining to alleged defamatory articles published by the party mouthpiece 'Saamana' against MP Rahul Shewale who is in the rival Shiv Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Raut appeared before metropolitan magistrate (Mazgaon court) S B Kale and Thackeray virtually attended the proceeding, news agency PTI reported. Both Sena UBT leaders pleaded not guilty to the allegations put up against them. They were given cash bail of Rs 15,000.

Both leaders will now face trial in the case while the matter has been adjourned till September 14 for recording evidence of the complainant, Shewale's consel informed, as per PTI.

Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale has demanded action against the rival party's leaders under Indian Penal Code sections 500 (punishment for defamation) and 501 (printing or engraving matter knowing it to be defamatory) for publishing 'defamatory articles' against him in Saamana's Marathi and Hindi editions.

Uddhav Thackeray is the chief editor of Saamana and Sanjay Raut is its executive editor.

In his complaint filed through advocate Chitra Salunke, Shewale expressed objection to the articles with the headline 'Rahul Shewale has hotel, real estate business in Karachi' published on December 29, 2022.

“The complainant strongly refuted all the allegations made in the said articles and categorically stated that this is merely a feeble attempt to damage the reputation and political career of the complainant by levelling false accusations against him to malign his image before the public at large,” the complaint read, as quoted by PTI.

It claimed that the articles were a “concocted story", “devoid of any merits” and an example of “vendetta journalism”.

Shewale became the Mumbai South Central Lok Sabha constituency as the nominee of the undivided Shiv Sena.

In Shinde's rebellion against Thackeray's leadership last year, Shewale joined the rebel camp.