#MeToo: Priya Ramani, the journalist who took down MJ Akbar

Priya Ramani is the journalist who called out the former newspaper editor, union minister MJ Akbar, opening the floodgates for more than 20 women—including New York-based journalist Pallavi Gogoi, who alleged Akbar raped her—to speak out.

Her words began the chain reaction that eventually led Akbar to step down from his job as a minister. He filed a criminal defamation case against her that is likely to become a landmark case pertaining to sexual harassment.

“As women, we feel vindicated by MJ Akbar’s resignation. I look forward to the day when I will also get justice in court. By instituting a case of criminal defamation against me, Mr Akbar has made his stand clear: rather than engage with the serious allegations, he seeks to silence them through intimidation and harassment. I am ready to fight allegations of defamation laid against me, as truth and the absolute truth is my only defence,” she wrote in a statement on Twitter.