MJ Akbar’s ‘stellar’ reputation key to his defamation case, I said it’s false: Ramani

Ramani’s lawyer Rebecca John made the submissions while addressing her final arguments before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vishal Pahuja. Her arguments could not be concluded, and the matter was deferred to September 14.

Ramani had levelled allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment against Akbar, who subsequently resigned as Union Minister of State for External Affairs in October 2018 and filed a defamation case against her. (File)

Former Union minister M J Akbar’s case in the defamation suit against her was centred on his “stellar reputation”, but this was false and “I had every right to contest it,” journalist Priya Ramani told a Delhi court on Tuesday.

Ramani’s lawyer Rebecca John made the submissions while addressing her final arguments before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vishal Pahuja. Her arguments could not be concluded, and the matter was deferred to September 14.

John was trying to contextualise reasons why journalist Ghazala Wahab was brought in as a defence witness when she made her arguments on Akbar’s reputation. She contended, “It is Mr Akbar’s case that he is a man of stellar, good reputation, which is central to their case. But it is not central to my case. I have contested and I have said that all of this is false. Ghazala Wahab was brought as a witness as a direct contestation to the stellar reputation claimed by the complainant.

“In the painful story that she had to tell, it is my case that none of the averments made by the complainant (Akbar) could be sustained with respect to his reputation. They brought his reputation in the case and when they did, I have every right to contest it.”

John said defence witness Niloufer Venkatraman’s testimony was sufficient corroboration of “Ramani’s truth”. Venkatraman had told the court that Ramani had spoken to her about sexual harassment by Akbar during an interview in 1993. Referring to the final arguments made by Akbar’s legal team, John told the court, “They shied away from the hotel incident. There was no contestation of the hotel incident. You can prove perhaps he never stayed in that hotel room — perhaps he was not there in November-December (1993); so many alternative defences could have been taken. They shied away because they knew she was speaking the truth.”

Rebutting Akbar’s claims of a delay in making allegations, John told the court about the genesis of Vishaka guidelines, the “tardy pace with which legislation came to be passed”, and how finally — in 2013 — sexual harassment at workplace became a penal offence. She submitted: “Therefore, to simply say why didn’t you complain, why didn’t you invoke the IPC…what happened? This Act, their judgments are the result of a long journey that women have had to fight on an issue of public importance and public good. Asian Age (newspaper) certainly did not have any mechanism in 1993 because it was not even envisaged at that time.”

Anand Mohan J

Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy. Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free. Expertise and Reporting Beats Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors: National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres. Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA). Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking. Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers. Professional Background Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017. Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh. Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs. Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife. Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance. Digital & Professional Presence Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More

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