Journalist Priya Ramani after being granted bail by Patiala House Court in connection with criminal defamation comp… https://t.co/twICrn2lwt — ANI (@ANI) 1551071029000

(With inputs from PTI)

NEW DELHI: Journalist Priya Ramani was granted bail by a Delhi court on Monday after she summoned as an accused in the criminal defamation complaint filed by former Union minister MJ Akbar .The court granted bail to Ramani on a personal bail bond of Rs 10,000. Next date of hearing is 8 March."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 was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.She was the first among 20-odd female journalists who accused Akbar of sexual misconduct as the #MeToo campaign raged on in India.The women claimed to have worked with Akbar in 1990s and included Ghazala Wahab, Shuma Raha, Anju Bharti and Shutapa Paul.In its order, the court said the allegations made by Ramani against Akbar were "prima facie defamatory" and he had denied all the accusations as "false and imaginary".It also said that "at this stage, the court only has the version of the complainant, who has on oath deposed in court that all the allegations made are false and further brought witnesses to vouch for his impeccable and unblemished reputation".The court had summoned her as an accused in connection with MJ Akbar's criminal defamation complaint.Ramani accused Akbar of sexual misconduct around 20 years ago when he was a journalist. He has denied the accusations.Akbar, who resigned as Union minister on October 17, last year had filed a private criminal defamation complaint against Ramani after his name cropped up on social media when he was in Nigeria.Akbar had told the court in his statement that an "immediate damage" has been caused to him due to the scurrilous, concocted and false allegations of sexual misconduct.Multiple women have come out with accounts of alleged sexual harassment by him while he was working as a journalist.He had termed the allegations "false, fabricated and deeply distressing" and said he was taking appropriate legal action against them.