Mahua Moitra moves High Court against arrest warrant issued by Nadia court

Mahua Moitra has moved the Calcutta High Court against an arrest warrant issued by a Krishnanagar court in a remarks case. The plea centres on her claim that parliamentary duties and a pending exemption application were overlooked before the warrant was issued.

In Short

• A Krishnanagar magistrate issued the warrant after repeated summons went unanswered
• She said parliamentary duties prevented her appearance on August 4 and 12
• Her lawyer cited a Bar boycott that blocked representation initially

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Friday moved the Calcutta High Court challenging an arrest warrant issued against her by a local court in Nadia district over allegedly objectionable remarks.

The Judicial Magistrate of the 3rd Court in Krishnanagar had issued the warrant on Wednesday after noting that Moitra had failed to appear before the court despite repeated summonses. She has been directed to appear before the court by August 28.

The matter was mentioned before a division bench of the High Court headed by Justice Debangshu Basak, with Moitra seeking an urgent hearing. The bench allowed the request and directed that the matter be listed for hearing on Monday.

WHY WAS THE ARREST WARRANT ISSUED?

The Krishnanagar court had summoned Moitra to appear on multiple dates. The court said her repeated failure to comply showed a lackadaisical approach and left it with “no other option” but to issue an arrest warrant.

Moitra, however, has argued that she could not appear because she was attending Parliament and that her exemption application had not been decided before the warrant was issued.

She said the first two summonses required her to appear on August 4 and 12. She was attending Parliament on both dates, while her lawyer could not appear because the Krishnanagar court was under a boycott by the local Bar Association.

Moitra said the third summons directed her to appear on August 18, a day after the lawyers’ boycott was withdrawn. She was still in Delhi, she said, while her counsel appeared before the court and filed an exemption application under Section 228 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

According to Moitra, the judge instead directed her to appear personally the following morning. Her lawyer later sought a decision on the exemption application, saying she could not travel from Delhi to Krishnanagar at such short notice.

The court then issued the arrest warrant, she said.

WHAT IS THE CASE AGAINST MOITRA?

The case stems from a complaint filed by Chaina Nandi and five others, who described themselves as “peace-loving, law-abiding citizens and housewives”.

The complainants alleged that Moitra made objectionable and derogatory remarks about Union Home Minister Amit Shah, personnel of the Indian Armed Forces and certain Hindu religious beliefs and symbols.

They specifically alleged that she made objectionable remarks concerning the “Tulsi Mala”, a religious symbol worn by many Hindu devotees.

The complainants said the remarks hurt their religious sentiments and those of others who hold the symbol in high regard.

Moitra has now challenged the arrest warrant before the Calcutta High Court, which will hear the matter on Monday.

- Ends