Sanjay Raut sues defamation suit against him, Maharashtra minister Dada Bhuse’s response sought

The Bombay High Court on Monday issued a notice to Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Dada Bhuse in response to a plea filed by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut in connection with a defamation suit filed against him by Bhuse.

The defamation case against Raut is being heard in a court in Malegaon. Raut applied to the Sessions Court for permission to produce the document in connection with the case. However, the session court rejected his request.

The Uddhav Sena leader then approached the High Court questioning the trial court’s refusal to entertain his plea.

Bhuse’s defamation complaint is based on an article published in Saamnamouthpiece Shiv Sena (UBT), in 2023, which mentioned misappropriation of money, leading to a complaint against Bhuse before the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Rahut is the editor Saamna

The article was based on Raut’s own complaint to the ED, which in turn referred to a 2018 complaint filed by Advay Hiray Patil in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).

On Monday, advocate Yashdeep Deshmukh, representing Raut, argued in court that the basis of Raut’s complaint lies in a petition filed by Patil before the NCLT in 2018.

“Raut tried to take Patil’s complaint to court, but the sessions court said it was not necessary. This is a very important document which Bhuse himself should have produced on record as he is a party to the NCLT petition, but since he did not do so, we wanted to furnish it, but the court refused,” Deshmukh said.

A bench of Justice Shyam Chandak fixed the next hearing on January 31, 2025 after receiving a reply from Bhuse.