Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Monday filed a criminal defamation complaint against BJP leader Kirit Somaiya in a court here for allegedly posting defamatory tweets against him since 2022.

In the complaint filed before a magistrate's court in suburban Mulund, through advocate Sundeep Singh, the Rajya Sabha MP urged the court to take cognizance of offence punishable under IPC section 500 (punishment for defamation) against ?Somaiya.

“Since the year 2022, I noticed that the accused made some tweets on his Twitter account with defamatory statements against me, which are completely unwarranted statements and amount to defamation against me,” the complaint said. Raut said he was “shocked and surprised” over these statements of the BJP leader.

“The statements were noticed by me and many of my followers and other people from his Twitter account. He has made defamatory statements against me without having any strict proof. He is trying to malign my reputation in eyes of society and public at large,” the complaint alleged. The court is expected to hear the matter in the coming days.