The special MP and MLA court on Monday dismissed the joint appeal of Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut against a magistrate's order refusing to discharge them in a defamation case filed by former Lok Sabha Mpanda Shiv Sena leader Rahul Shewale over an article published in Sena mouthpiece Saamna in December 2022.
The duo approached the court for discharge as the same was rejected by the Metropolitan Magistrate, Mazgaon, in October last year. Denying their revision application, the special judge for cases against MPs and MLAs, AU Kadam, directed that the case be sent to the trial (magistrate) court for further proceedings.
Shewale had filed a defamation case against Thackeray and Raut after an article published in Shiv Sena mouthpiece - Saamana in their edition of December 29, 2022. The magistrate court had accepting the complaint of Shewale had issued a summons to Thackeray and Raut. The two had however sought discharge, which was rejected by the magistrate court.
While seeking discharge before the sessions court, the two have claimed that "the article published in Saamana newspaper was the result of Press Conference, complaint launched by the aggrieved woman against respondent No 1 (Shewale) and also the news reporting of question answer session done in Maharashtra assembly."
The plea emphasised on the freedom of press stating that, "It is the duty of a press to published the interview of a political persons their views regarding social and economical development of our country as well as the views against any political persons and views against such a political persons including blame on such a political persons raised by another individual specially when the written complaint launched against such a political persons or inquiry was initiated by court of law or quasi judicial court," reads the discharge plea.
It was claimed in the said article that Shewale, who has become the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha after joining the Eknath Shinde group, has a hotel in Karachi, Pakistan, and also has real estate business there. Shewale in his complaint filed through advocate Chitra Salunkhe claimed that he was shocked and distressed after seeing the said article.
Shewale had refuted all the allegations made in the said article and stated that this was merely a feeble attempt to damage his reputation and political career. He further added that the articles published in Hindi and Marathi editions of the publication were concocted and devoid of any merit and a classic example of vendetta journalism.
