: Tuesday, February 17, 2026 4:49 PM
Mumbai . A Mumbai court on Tuesday postponed the hearing on the appeal of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut. Raut met Medha K, wife of former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya. Had appealed against his conviction in the defamation case filed by Somaiya. The Sessions Court adjourned the proceedings as no one was present from Medha Somaiya’s side. Raut’s lawyer Manoj Pingale said, “The final hearing was to be held on Tuesday, but no one appeared from the defendant’s side. We completed some of the remaining arguments today. We presented some case law based on the Supreme Court judgments, and now whatever judgment the honorable judge gives, we will accept it.”
In September 2024, the Mazagon Metropolitan Magistrate Court convicted Raut in a defamation case filed by Medha Somaiya in 2022 and sentenced him to 15 days in jail and a fine of Rs 25,000.
Soon after, Raut filed an application in the court, which suspended his jail sentence so that he could appeal and granted him bail. Giving information about the punishment, Medha Somaiya’s lawyer Vivekanand Gupta had said, “In the defamation case filed by Medha Somaiya, the Metropolitan Magistrate of the 25th Court of Mazgaon has sentenced Raut to 15 days’ jail under IPC section 500 and a fine of Rs 25,000 as compensation.”
The order came in a two-year-old defamation case filed by Medha Somaiya against Raut, in which Raut had alleged a Rs 100 crore toilet construction scam in Mira Road (Thane) was linked to an NGO run by Somaiya.
Medha Somaiya, professor of organic chemistry at Ruia College, Mumbai, dragged Raut to court over his ‘defamatory allegations’ against her and her husband.
Raut has always said that he had asked important questions only on the basis of specific official documents, which had raised doubts on the issue of building toilets. This was also supported by the leaders of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, and it was also discussed in the Assembly.
After the court found him guilty, Raut said, “Have I committed any defamation? This is just a ploy to put me in jail.” Soon after Raut’s conviction, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) working president Supriya Sule and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare had described the case as politically motivated.
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Web Title-Defamation Case: Mumbai Court Postpones Hearing on Sanjay Raut Appeal Against Conviction
