Mumbai News: Court Dismisses BJP MP Narayan Rane’s Plea Against Summons In Shiv Sena (UBT) Leader Sanjay Raut Defamation Case

Mumbai: The special MP and MLA court has dismissed the revision application filed by BJP MP Narayan Rane challanging the summons issued to him by the Metropolitan Magistrate court on defamation complaint lodged against him by Sanjay Raut.

Raut had last year filed a criminal defamation case against Rane citing an incident of January 15, 2023. Rane had allegedly made remarks on Raut at Konkan Festival organised in Bhandup on January 15, 2023.

Rane had claimed that, it was because of him, Raut was nominated as a member of Rajyasabha, when they both were in Shiv Sena. Rane had further claimed that Raut's name was not even in the voter's list. Raut said these statements were made only to defame him in front of people.

The Metropolitan Magistrate court had on April 23, accepting the complaint filed by Raut had observed that, documents on record prima-facie revealed Rane made defamatory statements against Raut in an open gathering, which were published in newspapers and electronic media. The court had while taking cognisance of the complaint had issued summons to him.

Rane had challanged the process and order of the magistrate court issuing process against him before the special sessions court for MP and MLA. Rane had claimed that "complaint is a politically motivated use of criminal process to suppress political discourse. And This is a counter-blast complaint, filed to harass a political rival, and amounts to a gross abuse of legal process."

Rane had also questioned the jurisdiction of the magistrate court to pass the said order. Rane's plea however had been dismissed on Wednesday, detailed order of which would be available subsequently.