
A Metropolitan magistrate’s court Tuesday granted bail to BJP leader Kirit Somaiya in connection with a case filed by an NGO and its founder for alleged defamatory statements.
The Sewree Metropolitan Court granted bail to Somaiya after he appeared before it. Last month, the court had issued summons to Somaiya saying that prima facie there is a case made out under charges of defamation against him. The court granted bail to him in two separate cases linked to the same allegations made by NGO Earth and its founder in his personal capacity.
“It is prima facie proved that the words spoken by accused Kirit Somaiya were such that it had harmed the reputation of NGO Earth (complainant),” the court had said last month while issuing summons to him.
The NGO and its founder in separate pleas had claimed that Somaiya had, through his Twitter account, made baseless allegations about the organisation’s involvement in a housing scam causing harm to its reputation and sought action against Somaiya.
Somaiya pleaded not guilty Tuesday and the court posted the matter next month for recording of evidence.
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