Thackeray case hearing on August 2

The defamation case was filed by Bhujbal in the Nashik court on September 4, 1997, against Thackeray, Sanjay Raut and Subhash Desai editor, executive editor and publisher, respectively, of the Sena mouthpiece Saamna, accusing the trio of publishing defamatory reports in July 1997.

The reports published by Saamna on July 23 and 24, 1997, had accused Bhujbal of masterminding the desecration of the statue of Dr B R Ambedkar at Ramabai Nagar, Ghatkopar, Mumbai. The incident on July 11, 1997 had led to a riot and police firing in which about a dozen dalits were killed. The Saamna reports were based on an affidavit filed by Rajendra MihilalaAgarwal alias Raju Gupta from Shahada Dhule. Agrawal, claimingto be a close associate of Bhujbal, had stated that Bhujbal has asked him to defile the Ambedkar statue at Ramabai Nagar. Agrawal had claimed that he had refused to comply and had returned to his hometown, Shahada, where the next day he read newspaper reports that the statue had been desecrated.

According to Bhujbal, while other newspapers reported the contents of the affidavit, Saamna chose to instigate the dalits against him by projecting him as their enemy. Incidentally, Thackeray had appeared in the Nashik court twice, on December 4, 1997 and March 8, 1999, pleading not guilty. Thackeray had also refused to apologise, as desired by Chhagan Bhujbal.