MJ Akbar moves Delhi HC against Priya Ramani's acquittal in defamation case; plea to be heard today

New Delhi: Former Union minister MJ Akbar has moved the Delhi High Court challenging a trial court order acquitting journalist Priya Ramani in the criminal defamation case filed against her over the allegations of sexual harassment. The plea is scheduled to come up for hearing on Thursday before Justice Mukta Gupta. Akbar has challenged the trial court’s 17 February order acquitting Ramani in the case on the ground that a woman has the right to put grievances before any platform of her choice even after decades. The trial court had dismissed the complaint filed by Akbar saying that no charges were proved against Ramani. The court had said it was shameful that crimes against women are taking place in a country where mega epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana were written about respecting them. The glass ceiling will not prevent Indian women as a roadblock in advancement in the society of equal opportunities, it had said. Ramani had made an allegation of sexual misconduct against Akbar in the wake of #MeToo movement in 2018. Akbar had filed the complaint against Ramani on 15 October, 2018, for allegedly defaming him by accusing him of sexual misconduct decades ago. He resigned as a Union minister on 17 October, 2018. He denied all the allegations of sexual harassment against the women who came forward during #MeToo campaign against him.