Court grants bail to journalist Priya Ramani in MJ Akbar criminal defamation case

New Delhi: Journalist Priya Ramani has been granted bail on Monday by a Delhi Court in a defamation case filed by former Union Minister M.J. Akbar. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal granted bail to Ramani asking her to furnish a personal bond and surety of Rs 10,000 each.

Matter will be heard further on April 10.

"The next date when they will frame the charges against me is April 10. After that it will be my turn to tell my story. The truth is my defence," she told reporters.

Priya Ramani was sued for defamation by editor-turned-politician MJ Akbar over her allegations of sexual harassment during the 'MeToo' movement

Ramani appeared before the Patiala House Court after recieivng summons issued against her in the defamation case filed by the former Minister of State for External Affairs after Ramani named him in a case of misconduct.

She was the first in a long list of women journalists to accuse Akbar of sexual harassment.

The allegations against Akbar, 68, dated back to his former career in journalism.

Ramani revealed in October 2018 that an article she wrote in 2017 about an unnamed editor's predatory behaviour was in fact about M.J. Akbar.

She said he was as "talented a predator" as he was a writer. Several other women since have come forward with stories about him.

Akbar has denied the allegations made against him and said they were "false and imaginary".