MUMBAI:  Rajya Sabha MP and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut was sentenced to 15 days imprisonment in a defamation case filed by Medha Somaiya, wife of former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya by a Mumbai court today. Medha Somaiya, who is a professor of Organic Chemistry at Ruia College in Mumbai, had said in her complaint that Raut had made baseless and defamatory allegations against her and her husband Kirit Somaiya. 

The court held Raut guilty under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code, which pertains to sentence for defamation. The court handed him a jail sentence, along with a fine of INR 25,000. The MP was, however, granted a 30-day suspension of the sentence, allowing him to file an appeal. His lawyer filed applications for both suspension of the sentence and bail, which the court approved.

Medha Somaiya had sought action against the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP for his allegations that she was involved in a Rs 100 crore toilet scam carried out by her and her NGO Yuva Pratishthan. Raut was convicted under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code for defamation and sentenced to simple imprisonment for 15 days. A fine of Rs 25,000 was also imposed on him. 

In her complaint filed through advocate Vivekanand Gupta, Somaiya had stated that since April 2022, Raut had given "malicious and unwarranted mischievous statements" to the media against her and the same was printed, published, and circulated to the public at large through electronic and print media. The malicious statements were also widely shared on social media platforms, she said in the complaint. 

Speaking to the media outside the court when he was sentenced, Raut said that he was not the only one who made the allegations about Medha, and he accused her based on documents. He said he was facing flak for political reasons and added that he had trust in the judiciary and was confident that he would get justice from the court.