Key Facts
The Madhya Pradesh High Court's Jabalpur bench, presided over by Justice Pramod Kumar Agrawal, on Wednesday lifted the interim stay on the arrest warrant issued against Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee. The warrant was issued by a special MP/MLA court in Bhopal in connection with a defamation case filed by former MLA Akash Vijayvargiya.
Details of the Case
The defamation case stems from a remark made by Banerjee during a rally in Kolkata in November 2020, where he allegedly referred to Akash Vijayvargiya as a 'goonda' (thug). This comment came months after Vijayvargiya was involved in an incident where he allegedly hit a municipal corporation employee with a cricket bat. Vijayvargiya, terming the remark defamatory and damaging to his reputation, filed a complaint in the Bhopal MP-MLA court in 2021.
The lower court issued an arrest warrant against Banerjee after he repeatedly failed to appear before it. Banerjee challenged the warrant in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, arguing that as an elected Member of Parliament, there was no risk of him absconding. Based on these submissions, the High Court initially granted an interim stay on the warrant on November 12, 2025.
High Court's Decision
On Wednesday, Justice Agrawal observed that no one appeared for Banerjee even during the pass-over round, and no representation was made in the first round either. The court remarked, "It seems that petitioner has lost interest in pursuing this petition." Consequently, the stay granted in favor of Banerjee was vacated, effectively lifting the protection from the arrest warrant.
Impact and What Readers Should Know
This development means that Abhishek Banerjee now faces the possibility of arrest unless he appears before the lower court or obtains further legal relief. The case highlights the legal consequences of defamatory statements made by public figures and the importance of complying with court proceedings. The matter is being closely watched as it involves prominent political personalities from West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.
FAQ
- Why was the arrest warrant issued against Abhishek Banerjee? The arrest warrant was issued by a Bhopal MP-MLA court after Banerjee failed to appear in a defamation case filed by former MLA Akash Vijayvargiya.
- What did Abhishek Banerjee allegedly say about Akash Vijayvargiya? Banerjee allegedly referred to Vijayvargiya as a 'goonda' (thug) during a rally in Kolkata in November 2020.
- Why did the High Court initially stay the warrant? The High Court granted an interim stay after Banerjee argued that as an elected MP, there was no risk of him absconding.
- What was the High Court's reason for lifting the stay? The court noted that no one appeared for Banerjee in court, indicating he had lost interest in pursuing the petition, leading to the vacation of the stay.
Source: www.hindustantimes.com