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In a significant legal development, the Metropolitan Magistrate in Mazgaon has rejected the discharge application of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut in a defamation case lodged against them by rival faction leader Rahul Shewale.
The defamation case stemmed from an article published in Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece, Samna, featured in their December 29, 2022 edition. The article made assertions about Shewale, who, after aligning with the Eknath Shinde group, assumed the role of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
The article in question alleged that Shewale had ownership of a hotel in Karachi, Pakistan, and was involved in real estate activities in the same region. These allegations deeply troubled Shewale, who swiftly filed a defamation case against Thackeray and Raut, with representation from advocate Chitra Salunkhe.
In his complaint, Shewale vehemently denied the veracity of the claims in the article, deeming it an attempt to tarnish his reputation and political career. He categorically asserted that the articles, which appeared in both the Hindi and Marathi editions of the publication, were entirely baseless and amounted to what he referred to as “vendetta journalism.”
Thackeray and Raut had submitted a discharge plea, contending their innocence and maintaining that they were unjustly implicated in the case. They argued that the responsibility for the content in the newspaper rested with the editor, emphasizing that they did not exert control over the selection of materials to be published in the publication. Specifically, they contended that, in the case of Samna, another party was responsible for choosing the news items to be included.
The court, however, dismissed their plea and has subsequently scheduled the case for the recording of evidence. A comprehensive order regarding this decision will be released at a later date, according to the court’s announcement. This development marks a significant step in the legal proceedings surrounding this high-profile defamation case, with both sides preparing to present their evidence and arguments in due course.
