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The Bombay High Court has issued a notice on three defamation suits filed by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kirit Somaiya claiming Rs 100 crore in damages from Lokshahi news channel, Ambadas Danve (leader of opposition from Shiv Sena Uddhav Thackeray faction) and YouTuber Anil Thatte.
The single-judge Bench of Justice SM Modak granted four weeks time to the respondents for file their responses.
The suit has been posted by the High Court for hearing after four weeks on ad-interim reliefs.
Advocate Hrishikesh Mundargi appeared for Somaiya.
In his suit, Somaiya alleged that Marathi news channel Lokshahi, owned by the Swaraj Marathi Broadcasting company, had run an explicit video on him.
The suit also mentioned the YouTube channel ‘Gaganbhedi,’ run by Thatte, which published the same videos. maligning his public image.
Somaiya had also filed a complaint with the Mumbai police cyber cell, which registered an FIR.
The Mumbai Police crime branch was earlier tasked to conduct an inquiry into the video after the issue was raised in the Monsoon session of the State Legislature.
The BJP leader said that Danve had referred to the video and made defamatory utterances against him at a press conference.
Somaiya decided to move the High Court with present petitions seeking specific restraining order against the channels and the concerned individuals from saying anything defamatory about him.
The leader has also sought compensation to the tune of Rs 100 crore from each respondent.
Advocates Mayur Khandeparkar, Rupesh Geete and Shubham Kahite appeared for Danve.