Nandita Singh
Nandita Singh was a Journalist at ThePrint. She is a former English Literature graduate from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, and a Young India Fellow. Nandita harbours an immense love for the social sciences and the issues that they encompass. Through her blog, spoken word performances, workshops, and panel discussions, she strives to make the world a more informed, open, and tolerant place. She is particularly interested in the economic, social and political impact of policy decisions on civic society. With a specialisation in political satire and culture, she explores the ways in which human beings interact with the institutions that surround them.
Find her on Twitter: @nandita_singh1
Ms Ramani may not be the only one
“Akbar replied to several questions with “I do not remember”: “I do not remember” meeting Ramani in the Bombay office of The Asian Age in December of 2003 when she was in search of a job. “I do not remember” asking Ramani to meet him at Oberoi Hotel in Nariman Point at 7 pm the same day.
“I cannot say whether Ms Ramani reached Oberoi Hotel at 7 pm. I cannot say whether her friend Niloufer Venkatraman dropped her off or if she left after dropping her,” Akbar claimed.”
The above is a quote from this article. If Akbar indeed spoke the last line,….”I cannot say whether her friend Niloufer dropped her off…” then he cannot claim:
1) “I do not remember” meeting Ramani in the Bombay office of The Asian Age in December of 2003 when she was in search of a job..”
2) “I cannot say whether Ms Ramani reached Oberoi Hotel at 7 pm.”
Because if the above 1) and 2) are false, then what was he talking about some Niloufer dropping off someone etc.
The very fact that he called Ramani to Oberoi the same evening he interviewed her during the day proves that he was expecting “something” from her. HAD HE GIVEN HER HER APPOINTMENT LETTER IN THE MORNING ITSELF? And this Oberoi meeting was supposed to be just an innocuous get together with a new friend and colleague?
No wonder Akbar’s lawyer Luthara was butting in ever so frequently. She was feeling insecure, as was her client Akbar, who was repeatedly saying I don’t remember to Rebecca John’s questions. This is a shut case, your honor!
And this fellow had the gall to file a “defamatory” case against that lady? This romeo should not only be put behind bars, but also made to pay Ramani all costs, PLUS a huge monetary fine in proportion to his “fame”, the same amount he was hoping to wangle our of Ramani.
A sustained shoe-beating of this shameless “editor-cum-MP. -cum-lecherous swine” would be perfectly in order.
… till the cows come home. That is how this case should proceed. Every single women M J Akbar has wronged should appear as a witness in support of Ms Priya Ramani. Recount her personal experience, bring it on record, to substantiate that Ms Ramani was speaking the truth. After that, it is for the Court to survey the wealth of material and pronounce judgment according to its conscience.