Priya Ramani

Priya Ramani is an Indian journalist, writer, and editor. In 2018, Ramani made an allegation of sexual harassment against now-former Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar, and Akbar filed a criminal defamation complaint against her. In October 2020, Ramani, her husband Samar Halarnkar, and their friend Niloufer Venkatraman created the India Love Project on Instagram.

Priya Ramani
OccupationJournalist, editor
TitleEditor at large, Juggernaut Books
Spouse(s)Samar Halarnkar

Career

Ramani began working at The Asian Age in 1994, then Reuters, Elle, India Today, Cosmopolitan magazine and Mint Lounge.[1] Ramani has also written for Livemint,[2] Indian Express,[3] and Vogue India.[4] Ramani led Mint Lounge for eight years.[3] She is an editor at large at Juggernaut Books for its digital properties.[3] Ramani also serves as an editorial board member of Article 14, a website about the rule of law in India.[5]

Vogue India

On October 12, 2017, Vogue India published an article by Ramani titled "To the Harvey Weinsteins of the world," that was styled as an open letter and begins with "Dear Male Boss."[6] CNN reports that Ramani described workplace harassment during a job interview in a Mumbai hotel room.[7]

Sexual harassment allegation

In October 2018, Ramani made the allegation of sexual harassment against now-former Union minister and veteran journalist M.J. Akbar on Twitter in a tweet during the #MeToo movement.[1] On October 8, 2018, Ramani tweeted with a reference to her 2017 Vogue India piece, stating "I began this piece with my MJ Akbar story. Never named him because he didn’t "do" anything. Lots of women have worse stories about this predator—maybe they'll share."[1] Soon after Ramani's tweets, more women accused Akbar of sexual misconduct during his career as a journalist.[8]

Criminal defamation case

M.J. Akbar filed a criminal defamation case against Ramani on October 15, 2018, and resigned as Minister of State for External Affairs on October 17, 2018.[9][10][11] The New York Times described Akbar at the time as "the most prominent figure so far to be felled by the #MeToo movement sweeping the world’s largest democracy" and reported "Akbar and his 97 lawyers have brought [the case] against Priya Ramani, the first woman to publicly accuse him of harassment dating back to a time when he was a prominent newspaper editor."[12] Bhawana Bisht, writing for SheThePeople.TV, described the case against Ramani as an example of a SLAPP lawsuit and "a way to drag the women to court and intimidate them until they withdraw."[13] Ramani pleaded not guilty,[14] and may be sentenced to prison for up to two years.[15]

In January 2019, Ramani was summoned to court,[16] and in February 2019, Ramani was granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 10,000.[8] In June 2019, CNN described Ramani's case as one of two "high-profile criminal defamation cases [that] have recently shaken the country’s #MeToo movement."[17] Senior Advocate Rebecca John represents Ramani, and in September 2020, John told the court, "A true imputation made in the public good is not defamation... it is not defamation to make an imputation on the character of another when it is made in good faith for the protection of his or other's interest."[18] John also said, "Priya Ramani's alleged defamatory tweets and the Vogue article were her truth. I am saying this is my (Ramani's) truth... it is the truth, is in good faith, touching public good."[18]

Ramani told the court on September 7, 2020, "It was my hope that the disclosures, which were part of #MeToo, would empower women to speak up for their rights at the workplace. This case has come at great personal cost to me. I had nothing to gain from it. I am a very well regarded journalist. I live a quiet life with my family in Bangalore," and "By keeping silent, I could have avoided the subsequent targeting. But that wouldn’t have been the right thing to do."[1]

V. Venkatesan writes for The Wire that according to Bar and Bench, John argued on September 19 that "freedom of speech and expression was critical and intrinsic to a democracy," and Ramani was a "small part" of the larger #MeToo movement.[14] John also argued that Ramani's allegation of sexual harassment was supported by other women who made similar allegations against Akbar, including journalist Ghazala Wahab.[19] The National Herald reports John concluded her presentation with a quote by the late US Supreme Court justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, "on arbitrary barriers that women face in work-life."[19] The Quint reports that in reference to the Ginsburg quote, "John spoke about “structural wrong” and said that the #MeToo Movement was started to correct this structural wrong."[20] After John completed her arguments as to why Ramani should be acquitted and before Akbar's senior advocate Geeta Luthra was to begin her argument, the court decided to transfer the case to another court.[14] On October 22, 2020, the case was sent back to the court after what the Press Trust of India described as a "controversial" transfer.[21]

In November 2020, Senior Advocate Geeta Luthra submitted to the court on behalf of Akbar that Ramani made the statements out of vengeance, not the public good, and Ramani failed to produce evidence of her allegations and failed to apologize for the statements.[22] On November 21, 2020, The Indian Express reported that the court asked Ramani and Akbar to consider a settlement of the case.[23] On November 24, 2020, Asian News International reported that John informed the court on behalf of Ramani that there was no chance of a settlement.[24] Due to a transfer of judges, the matter would now be heard again before the new judge.[24]

On December 10, 2020, the Press Trust of India reported that John told the court that Ramani is "not the only one who has come out with her painful story against Akbar."[25] John also said, "Sexual harassment at the work place is a matter of public interest. It has been recognised as a violation of the fundamental rights of women."[25] John further stated that Akbar had engaged in a "deliberate and mischievous misreading" of the 2017 Vogue article written by Ramani.[25]

On December 14, 2020, Asian News International reported that Ramani submitted to the court through John that "#MeToo came to India in 2018. It wasn't a crime to speak up on the #MeToo platform. These are acts of extreme courage that require celebration. These are not acts for which one should face defamation."[26]

On December 18, 2020, the Press Trust of India reported that Ramani alleged in court through John that Akbar did not approach the court with clean hands in his criminal defamation complaint against her.[9] Over 20 women have alleged sexual harassment by Akbar while they were working as journalists under him, and John told the court that Ramani was not the first to tweet against Akbar: "Several women had tweeted. Ghazala Wahab tweeted two days before. Shunali Khullar Shroff and Prerna Singh Bhindra tweeted before her."[9] John told the court that 15 women had accused Akbar of sexual harassment by the time he filed the case against Ramani in October 2018, and Akbar "played a fraud" by failing to mention the other accusations of sexual harassment against him when he filed and then claiming that only Ramani's statement defamed him.[27]

On December 22, 2020, Bar and Bench reported that MJ Akbar's counsel Geeta Luthra reviewed Ramani's 2017 Vogue article in court,[28] and the Press Trust of India reports that Luthra told the court on behalf of Akbar, "People on responsible position like journalists should not make such allegations on social media. They should come to court instead."[29] On December 24, 2020, the Press Trust of India reported that in court, MJ Akbar denied meeting Ramani in the hotel where she alleged the sexual harassment happened.[30] On January 4, 2021, Luthra stated in court that "without any investigation or basis," Ramani referred to Akbar as "media’s biggest sexual predator" in a tweet about Akbar's resignation.[31] On January 18, in response to Ramani's point about the other allegtions made against Akbar, Luthra told the court, "It doesn’t matter what people say post facto. Harm is done by the man who instigates and ignites the flame first."[32] Luthra also told the court that the testimony and evidence offered by Niloufer Venkatraman was inadmissible.[33] On January 21, Luthra submitted to the court that Ramani's deletion of her own Twitter account before cross-examination was deliberate and intended "to subserve the cause of justice," and even though Akbar has not filed a criminal complaint for the destruction of evidence, Luthra wanted the court to take notice of Ramani's conduct.[34]

Ramani's counsel Rebecca John began to make final arguments on January 27, 2021, arguing that Akbar's arguments do not make sense based on a plain reading of Ramani's Vogue article, and that the testimony of Ghazala Wahab, who has accused Akbar of sexual assault, as well as a Firstpost article introduced by Akbar's legal team that provided details of allegations against Akbar, were relevant support for Ramani's reference to Akbar as a 'predator,' stating "The usage of the term predator is not defamatory. The imputation is the truth. You cannot look at defamation in isolation and shut your eyes to the rest of the world and pretend nothing is happening. Truth is painful, truth is bitter."[35]

India Love Project

On October 28, 2020, Ramani, her husband Samar Halarnkar, and their friend Niloufer Venkatraman created the India Love Project on Instagram, "a celebration of interfaith/inter-caste love and togetherness in these divisive, hate-filled times."[36][37] The Project began in response to backlash against an advertising campaign that featured an interfaith couple, and has expanded to help couples find legal and counseling assistance.[38] A December 2020 Vogue India profile on the India Love Project states, "It feels great to hear a tale about how a couple made it, how they followed their heart," and describes how "veteran journalists" Ramani, Halarnkar and Venkatraman created the India Love Project "on the fly, without thinking through too many details, adopting a millennial entrepreneur strategy," and have since been "absolutely inundated with responses."[5]

Personal life

Ramani is married to the journalist Samar Halarnkar.

References
  1. Bhuyan, Anoo (9 September 2019). "'Silence Wouldn't Have Been Right': Priya Ramani Tells Court in M.J. Akbar Case". thewire.in. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  2. "Priya Ramani". livemint.com.
  3. Pai, Vivek (4 January 2016). "Juggernaut Books appoints Priya Ramani as editor at large". Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  4. "Priya Ramani". Vogue India. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  5. Bhimjyani, Aditi (13 December 2020). "Love an honest love story? This is the one Instagram account telling it as it is". Vogue India. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  6. Ramani, Priya (12 October 2017). "To the Harvey Weinsteins of the world". Vogue India. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  7. Suri, Manveena (19 October 2018). "India's #MeToo moment? Media and entertainment industry shaken by allegations". CNN. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  8. "MJ Akbar defamation case: Priya Ramani says disclosure of sexual harassment was for 'public good'". scroll.in. 6 September 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  9. Press Trust of India (18 December 2020). "MeToo: M J Akbar did not approach court with clean hands, says Priya Ramani". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  10. FP Staff (18 October 2018). "live #MeToo; MJ Akbar defamation case hearing updates: Delhi court's next hearing on 31 Oct, ex-minister to be present". Firstpost. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  11. Gupta, Swati (18 October 2018). "Indian minister MJ Akbar resigns amid sexual assault allegations". CNN. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  12. Abi-Habib, Maria; Goel, Vindu (17 October 2018). "A Top Indian Minister Resigns, but Can #MeToo Reform Government?". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  13. Bisht, Bhawana (20 October 2018). "There Is A History Of Using SLAPP Suits To Silence Women". SheThePeople.TV. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  14. Venkatesan, V. (13 October 2020). "Something More Than Meets the Eye as M.J. Akbar Case Against Priya Ramani Set to Shift Courts". The Wire. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  15. Dutt, Barkha (16 October 2018). "An Indian minister accused of sexual abuse should have been sacked. Instead, he wants to punish women". The Washington Post. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  16. Scroll Staff (29 January 2019). "MJ Akbar defamation case: Delhi court issues summons to journalist Priya Ramani". Scroll.in. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  17. Fox, Kara; Crouin, Antoine (5 June 2019). "Men are suing women who accused them of harassment. Will it stop others from speaking out?". CNN. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  18. Press Trust of India (5 September 2020). "Disclosure Of Sexual Harassment Was For Public Good, Priya Ramani Tells Court". NDTV. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  19. NH Web Desk (19 September 2020). "'I deserve to be acquitted': Submissions on Priya Ramani's behalf conclude in MJ Akbar's defamation case". National Herald. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  20. Saran, Mekhala (19 September 2020). "MJ Akbar-Priya Ramani Case: John Quotes Ginsburg in Final Argument". The Quint. Bloomberg. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  21. Press Trust India (23 October 2020). "#MeToo: M.J. Akbar's Defamation Case Against Priya Ramani Sent to Same Judge". The Wire. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  22. Press Trust India (10 November 2020). "#MeToo: Priya Ramani made 'defamatory' statement out of vengeance, Akbar tells court". The Hindu. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  23. Mohan, Anand (21 November 2020). "MJ Akbar vs Priya Ramani: New judge urges both sides to consider settlement of defamation case". The Indian Express. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  24. "Journalist Priya Ramani says she stands with her statement, no chance of settlement". Asian News International. 24 November 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  25. Press Trust of India (10 December 2020). "MJ Akbar "Deliberately" Misread Article, Priya Ramani's Lawyer Tells Court". NDTV. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  26. Asian News International (14 December 2020). "Speaking on MeToo act of courage, not defamation: Priya Ramani tells court". Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  27. Scroll Staff (18 December 2020). "MJ Akbar played fraud on court by hiding other sexual harassment allegations: Priya Ramani's lawyer". Scroll.in. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  28. "MJ Akbar v. Priya Ramani: Live Updates from the final hearings before Delhi Court". Bar and Bench. 22 December 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  29. Press Trust of India (22 December 2020). "Ramani should have taken recourse to law, not social media allegations, Akbar tells court". The Tribune. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  30. PTI (24 December 2020). "#MeToo: MJ Akbar tells court no meeting with Priya Ramani in hotel". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  31. Scroll Staff (4 January 2021). "Priya Ramani case: MJ Akbar tells Delhi court he was labelled sexual predator 'without any basis'". Scroll.in. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  32. PTI (18 January 2021). "#MeToo: Priya Ramani ignited flame to harm his reputation, M J Akbar tells court". The Indian Express. Press Trust of India. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  33. Priyadarshini, Anna (18 January 2021). "Priya Ramani's Vogue article about sexual harassment is 'fictitious', MJ Akbar's lawyer". Newslaundry. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  34. PTI (21 January 2021). "Priya Ramani Deleting Twitter Account Merits Another Case: MJ Akbar To Court". NDTV. Press Trust of India. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  35. Sachdev, Vakasha (28 January 2021). "'Truth is Painful': Akbar-Priya Ramani Defamation Trial Nears End". The Quint. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  36. "India Love Project: The Instagram account telling tales of 'forbidden' love". BBC. 10 November 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  37. Quint Neon (10 November 2020). "This Instagram Account Is Celebrating Indian Love Across Barriers". The Quint. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  38. Nair, Shruti (13 December 2020). "HT Brunch Social Media Star of the Week: India Love Project". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
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