Sanjay Raut, a Rajya Sabha MP and leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), has been convicted in a defamation case and sentenced to 15 days in jail. The metropolitan magistrate in Mumbai’s Mazgaon also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on Raut following a complaint filed by Dr Medha Kirit Somaiya, the wife of BJP leader Kirit Somaiya.

Dr Somaiya, a professor of Organic Chemistry at Ruia College in Mumbai, in her petition alleged that Raut made unfounded and defamatory claims, accusing her and her husband of being involved in a Rs 100 crore scam through her NGO Yuva Pratishthan concerning the construction and maintenance of public toilets in Mira Bhayandar.

Her complaint stated that since April 2022, Raut had given “malicious and unwarranted mischievous statements” to the media and the same was printed, published, and circulated to the public at large through electronic and print media. The malicious statements were also widely shared on social media platforms, she added.

She had sought an unconditional apology and a permanent injunction against Raut, restraining him from publishing, circulating, and printing material defamatory to her, in the future.

Raut’s lawyers are likely to move court to seek suspension of the sentence to give him time to appeal against the conviction.