“No human being, no journalist, who has been accused of sexual harassment, can be a man of high reputation,” said senior advocate Rebecca John on Wednesday to a Delhi court which was hearing the defamation case filed by former Union Minister MJ Akbar against journalist Priya Ramani. while on Wednesday. MJ Akbar, accused of sexual harassment, has filed a defamation case against Priya Ramani for her allegations and has accused her of harming his reputation. Final hearing in the case is underway and Rebecca John submitted her arguments representing Priya Ramani.
“No journalist, no human being who is accused of sexual harassment can be a man of high reputation. No journalist guilty of contempt of court can be a man of high reputation,” said Rebecca John, citing the Delhi High Court case where MJ Akbar was held. “Writing books does not define reputation. John added, “merely writing books does not define a man’s reputation.”
The submission by Ramani’s counsel was made before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ravindra Kumar, during the final hearing in the criminal defamation case filed by Akbar, who has been accused by her and around 20 other women of sexual misconduct over 20 years ago when he worked a journalist. Ramani had accused MJ Akbar of sexual misconduct in the wake of #MeToo movement in 2018, following which Akbar filed a criminal defamation complaint against her.
Appearing for Ramani, Rebecca John submitted to the court that Akbar was undermining the sexual harassment that women go through at the workplace by terming her allegations as fictitious.
John said though Ramani did not name him in her Vogue article of 2017, in her evidence, she has explained that it was the Me Too movement that gave her the courage to name him in her tweet.
“Merely because the accused had not named him in 2017, it does not take away the credibility of the allegations made at the height of the #MeToo,” she said.
John countered Akbar’s charge that her claim was fiction.
“How is this fictitious? When I recall something that happens me it is a real-life story and not fictitious. You are undermining the sexual harassment that women go through at workplace,” she added.
“John further referred to Akbar's reported consensual relationship with a 23-year-old subordinate at the workplace, adding, “This is what harassment looks like. No human being accused of sexual harassment can be a person of high reputation. No journalist guilty of contempt of court can be a man of high reputation. Merely writing books does not define reputation,” she said, pointing out that Akbar was held guilty by Delhi High Court in a contempt of court case.
Ten women have made allegations against Akbar, she said and added that Akbar had also admitted the same. “She (Ramani) is naming them and if this doesn't show predatory behaviour, nothing does,” John said.
To Akbar’s charge that she did not exercise due caution and did not conduct an inquiry before she made the charge, John argued, “When I (Ramani) am talking about myself and my own personal experience, who do in inquire from? I am an eye witness in my own case. I could have only asked Akbar. We were the only two in the case.”
Akbar had earlier told the court that Ramani had defamed him by calling him with adjectives such as 'media's biggest predator' that harmed his reputation.
To this, John submitted, “For ‘predator’, two legal dictionaries were cited. But when ordinary people write, they don't use legal dictionaries. Ordinary people understand ordinary meanings. I (Ramani) used the predator in the context of my expression and the shared experience of other women and to highlight the difference in age and power. A predator is always more powerful than his prey.”
The court will continue hearing John’s submissions on February 1 at 2 pm. The counsels of both Ramani and Akbar have been asked to file written submissions as well, limited to 30 pages.
Akbar had filed the criminal defamation complaint against Ramani on October 15, 2018. He resigned as Union minister on October 17, 2018. He has denied all the allegations of sexual harassment against him. Over 20 women had spoken out and accused Akbar of sexual harassment they faced when they were working as journalists under him. Akbar termed the allegations "false, fabricated and deeply distressing" and said he was taking appropriate legal action against them.