Kalyan Court acquits Uddhav Thackeray, Eknath Shinde in 17-year-old defamation case
A Kalyan court has acquitted Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde in a 17-year-old defamation case filed by Vasant Davkhare. The judge cited a lack of evidence and significant gaps in the investigation process.
Why it matters
The acquittal resolves a long-standing legal dispute involving high-profile Indian political figures.
Kalyan District and Sessions Court Judge Santosh Aage on Wednesday (September 23, 2026) acquitted Uddhav Thackeray, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, Anand Paranjape and Rajendra Devlekar in a case of defamation that Vasant Davkhare filed 17 years ago. The court cited lack of evidence.
The court held that records, testimony and statements did not support the charges. It noted gaps in the investigation and in sequence of events, as per the proceedings and advocates.
Vasant Davkhare was the NCP candidate from the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat in 2009. Anand Paranjape was the Shiv Sena candidate. Mr. Paranjape won. During the campaign, a meeting took place. Uddhav Thackeray, Eknath Shinde and Anand Paranjape showed recordings of sound and images about Davkhare to people through television, as per a complaint.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in