A judge of the Calcutta High Court on Monday put on hold an arrest warrant issued by the Krishnanagar court against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra who has not appeared in court over a case relating to allegations of hate speeches and insults towards women.
A bench of Doctrine of the Law of the Land Justices Debangsu Basak and Aryak Dutt ordered to hear the case again on August 27. The court also hearing the complainant in the case pending against Nadia district court.
The High Court has any of the following orders: cancel the arrest warrant, revoke the appointment, or impose further conditions.
Moitra’s attorney, Arko Kumar Nag, had sought the transfer of his case to the court meant for MP/MLAs in Salt-lake as the alleged speeches and subsequent complaints came in relation to his tenure as a Member of Parliament.
Her counsel also submitted that the claim was frivolous, without merit and that the complaints made did not amount to a criminal offence.
The case has been pending against Moitra ever since it came against a charge of insulting women and making hate speeches. The Krishnanagar court had had the TMC leader summoned before them as a pre-cognisance measure after receiving a complaint.
Earlier, the Third Judicial Magistrate at Krishnanagar, had remarked that Moitra has not appeared in court on five occasions despite summon. The magistrate issued an arrest warrant against her on August 19 and informed that a report on the issuance should be presented by August 28.
The Calcutta High Court order has stopped the arrest warrant from being issued in the meantime, pending it considers the law challenges Moitra’s defense put before the court in the hearing. The trial on the matter will be conducted further on August 27th when the complainant will also hear the case.