In a dramatic courtroom showdown, a Mumbai court on Wednesday dismissed BJP MP Narayan Rane’s desperate bid to quash a summons issued against him in a high-profile defamation case filed by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut. The ruling has sent shockwaves through political circles, intensifying the bitter rivalry between the two heavyweights.

The controversy erupted when Raut accused Rane of hurling “malicious and false” remarks during the Konkan Festival in Bhandup on January 15, 2023. Rane allegedly claimed Raut’s name was absent from the voters’ list and boasted of aiding Raut’s Rajya Sabha election during his own tenure with Shiv Sena. Raut, incensed by the remarks, filed a criminal defamation case, prompting a Mazgaon magistrate’s court to issue a summons to Rane in April.

Rane fought back, challenging the summons in a special court for MPs and MLAs, arguing that the defamation claim lacked merit and that the magistrate failed to provide reasoned grounds for the order. However, Raut’s lawyer, Sarthak Shetty, fiercely defended the summons, asserting that the defamation case was airtight.

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The court’s rejection of Rane’s plea has kept the legal battle alive, with further hearings set to unfold before the magistrate. The detailed order is awaited, as tensions continue to simmer in this political slugfest.

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