BJP ex-MP’s wife slaps Rs 100 cr defamation suit against Sanjay Raut

Mumbai: A Mumbai ex-Bharatiya Janata Party MP’s wife on Monday filed a Rs 100 crore libel suit and a permanent gag order against Shiv Sena spokesman Sanjay Raut.

Medha Somaiya, wife of Kirit Somaiya, said in her plea that the Rs 100 crore damages should be deposited in the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

The Somaiyas’ suit came in response to Raut’s recent accusations of an alleged Rs 100-crore toilet scam in the Mira-Bhayander area of Thane district, through the Sena’s newspaper ‘Saamana’ on April 12.

Raut had contended that the funds allocated by the Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC) were allegedly misused by Medha Somaiya through her NGO Yuvak Pratishthan.

The Somaiyas vehemently denied Raut’s allegations terming them as baseless, without any documentary evidence, and intended to malign her reputation through false and defamatory statements or comments to create a wrong impression in the public.

In April-end, Medha Somaiya had submitted a written complaint to the local police station urging them to lodge a FIR against Raut, and now has filed the suit before the Sewri Metropolitan Magistrate Court, seeking a permanent gag, an apology from Raut, etc. as interim relief.