Madhya Pradesh High Court Lifts Interim Stay on Arrest Warrant for Abhishek Banerjee in Defamation Case

Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool Congress MP and nephew of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has received a major setback from the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The MP High Court has lifted the interim stay on the arrest warrant issued by the Special MP-MLA Court, Bhopal. The High Court has also directed to immediately send a copy of its order to the lower court. The single bench of Justice Pramod Kumar Agrawal gave this verdict when Abhishek Banerjee was not effectively represented in the case despite repeated opportunities and clear warnings. The court held that despite providing ample opportunities, the party did not show interest in the hearing. The entire controversy is related to the defamation case filed by BJP leader Akash Vijayvargiya. It is alleged that during a public meeting held in Kolkata in November 2020, Abhishek Banerjee had allegedly made objectionable remarks for Akash Vijayvargiya, calling him a "goonda." On the basis of this statement, a defamation case was filed in the MP-MLA Court, Bhopal in the year 2021, on behalf of MP Rahul Gandhi.