Former MP Moves Bombay HC Against Trial Court Order Denying His Plea To Bring On Record Evidence Against Thackeray & Raut In Defamation Case

Former Member of Parliament (MP) Rahul Shewale of the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) has moved the Bombay High Court challenging the decision of a special court which refused to issue summons to a witness in an ongoing trial in the criminal defamation case he has filed against Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and Rajya Sabha parliamentarian Sanjay Raut. 

Notably, Shewale has filed the criminal defamation case after an article was published in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' on December 29, 2022 pertaining to his alleged real estate dealings in Karachi, Pakistan. The former MP from South-Central Mumbai Constituency has filed the case against Thackeray, who is the Chief Editor and Raut, who is the Executive Editor of Saamna.

A Metropolitan Magistrate on October 26, 2023 had refused to discharge Thackeray and Raut from the case, who had contended that they were being implicated in the case. The said order, denying to discharge the two top politicians from Maharashtra, was upheld by a special MP/MLA court on September 23, 2024.

Shewale had on July 8, 2025 filed an application before the trial court, urging it to issue summons to the news reporters of Saamna - both Hindi and Marathi editions. However, the said summons were received by one Datta Hargude at Saamna office. Two subsequent applications were filed urging the court to issue summons to Hargude and to produce some relevant documents. A further directive was sought to Thackeray and Raut to furnish the addresses of its news reporters, who had filed the defamatory article. 

However, the trial court by an order based on July 19, 2025 dismissed the said application filed by Shewale on the ground that the documents which the complainant seek to bring on record through Hargude, were 'self-incriminating' documents and thus Thackeray and Raut cannot be asked to produce the said documents in the court. 

Challenging this very order, Shewale has now approached single-judge Justice Shriram Modak through his lawyer Chitra Salunkhe. 

In his petition, Shewale has contended that the trial court wrongly dismissed his plea as the documents that were sought to be brought on record, were not self-incriminatory and rather a best piece of evidence which could prove the complainant's case against Thackeray and Raut.

The plea was listed for hearing on Wednesday (August 20) but due to paucity of time, it could not be take up for hearing and was adjourned till next month. 

The petition is likely to be mentioned again on Friday through Salunkhe, who confirmed that she would be urging for an earlier date for hearing the instant petition. 

Case Title: Rahul Ramesh Shewale vs State of Maharashtra