Delhi HC adjourns hearing on MJ Akbar's plea challenging Priya Ramani's acquittal in criminal defamation case

The Bench of Justice Mukta Gupta adjourned the matter to May 5 as the concerned bench did not assemble today.

New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing on the petition of former Union minister MJ Akbar challenging a trial court order which had dismissed the criminal defamation case filed by him against journalist Priya Ramani over the allegations of sexual harassment.

The Bench of Justice Mukta Gupta adjourned the matter to May 5 as the concerned bench did not assemble today.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ravindra Kumar Pandey while passing the trial court order judgement on February 17 had said that Indian women are capable, the way should be paved for them to excel, and they only require freedom and equality.

"The 'glass ceiling' will not prevent Indian women as a roadblock for their advancement in society if equal opportunity and social protection are given to them," the court said.

Ramani during cross-examination submitted that she had no "malafide" and "extraneous" motive for making the allegations of sexual harassment against former union minister M J Akbar.

"It is wrong to suggest that my conduct as a journalist has been unethical as I had neither identified my sources nor attributed credits", she had said.

Ramani was the first woman to accuse Akbar of sexual harassment during the #MeToo campaign.

The allegations levelled against him forced him to resign from the Union Cabinet on October 17, 2018.

(ANI)