Journalist Priya Ramani was acquitted by a Delhi Court in a defamation suit filed against her by former Union Minister MJ Akbar, on Wednesday. When Union Minister Smriti Irani was asked to comment on it she said ‘due protection has to be given to women.’
During her press briefing, when Smriti Irani was asked about the court’s judgment, she said, “I have stated this before, due protection has been given to women and the protectors of law can take action based on their statements.”
Ramani had accused Akbar of sexual misconduct in 2018, following which the latter had filed a defamation case against her. Miss Ramani had stated that the incident took place 20 years ago, when Akbar was the editor of Asian Age. She had alleged that he had called her for a job interview in his hotel bedroom and had behaved inappropriately. Two days later, MJ Akbar resigned from PM Narendra Modi’s cabinet
Acquitting her of all charges, the court in its judgement said that ‘women can’t be punished for raising instances of sexual abuse’ and that ‘right of reputation cannot be protected at cost of right to dignity.’
After her acquittal, an elated Ramani had stated, “It feels amazing, truly does. I feel vindicated on behalf of all the women who have ever spoken out against sexual harassment. Sexual harassment has got the attention it deserves.”
