Court reserves order on summoning scribe in defamation case filed by MJ Akbar

Ramani accused Akbar of sexual misconduct around 20 years ago, which was denied by him.

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday reserved for January 29 its order on whether to summon journalist Priya Ramani as an accused in a defamation case filed by former union minister MJ Akbar after she levelled allegations of sexual misconduct against him.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal reserved the order after listening to arguments from Akbar's lawyer, who said a prima facie case was made out against Ramani.

Akbar, who resigned as Union minister on October 17 last year, filed a private criminal defamation complaint against Ramani after his name cropped up on social media when he was in Nigeria as the #MeToo campaign raged on in India. Ramani accused Akbar of sexual misconduct around 20 years ago, which was denied by him.