Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray and MP Sanjay Raut were granted bail by a magistrate court in Mumbai on Monday in connection with a defamation case filed by Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale. The bail was set at Rs 15,000 each. The case was initiated over an article published in the Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece Saamana. Shewale had claimed the article contained defamatory content against him.
Both Thackeray and Raut made appearances before the court to address the charges and pleaded not guilty to the allegations. While Sanjay Raut was physically present in the courtroom, Uddhav Thackeray was granted permission for a virtual appearance.
The next hearing in this case is scheduled for September 14th, when further proceedings will take place.
What is the case?
The piece, released in both Hindi and Marathi on December 29, 2022, asserted that Shewale possessed real estate investments in Dubai and Karachi. Shewale's attorney, Chitra Salunkhe, dispatched an inquiry on January 3, 2023, seeking clarification regarding the origin of these allegations.
In response, the 'Saamana' editorial team contended that their article was informed by information they came across online, wherein a woman was reportedly discussing these matters.
After receiving this reply, Salunkhe lodged a criminal defamation complaint with the magistrate court and simultaneously initiated a defamation lawsuit amounting to Rs 100 crore in the Bombay High Court.
