New Delhi: A former woman colleague of journalist and politician M.J. Akbar told a Delhi court on Monday that his reputation has been “destroyed” and “damaged irreparably” due to the allegations of sexual misconduct levelled by scribe Priya Ramani.

Sunday Guardian editor Joyeeta Basu, who appeared as a witness to support defamation case filed by Mr Akbar, told Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal that Ms Ramani posted all her tweets “intentionally with a purpose to harm” the former Union Minister’s .”reputation  and goodwill”.

“I have seen tweets by Priya Ramani dated October 10, 2018 and October 13, 2018. I have overcome my doubts but I know from the number of questions raised by people, I know personally that his reputation has been destroyed and damaged irreparably,” Ms Basu told the court which is recording the statements of witnesses produced by Mr Akbar.

Mr Akbar, who resigned as Union minister on October 17, had filed a private criminal defamation complaint in a court here against Ms Ramani after his name cropped up on the social media when he was in Nigeria, as the #MeToo campaign raged on in India.

Ms Ramani has accused Mr Akbar of sexual misconduct around 20 years ago.

In her statement, Ms Basu said: “After reading these tweets by Ramani,  I believe that this vilification was conducted and the tweets were published intentionally by Ramani with a purpose to harm Akbar’s good reputation and goodwill in the eyes of society.”

The journalist said that she has worked with Mr Akbar for 20 years and had not heard anything “untoward” from the staff of the organisation where they worked together. He was a public figure who was held in high esteem, she said.

“I have always held Mr Akbar in high regard. He has been perfectly professional in his dealings with me. He has always been a tough taskmaster, a thorough professional and a brilliant teacher,” Ms Basu said.