Court orders arrest of TMC MP Mahua Moitra for skipping hearings in hate speech case
A court in West Bengal's Nadia district on Wednesday ordered the issuance of an arrest warrant against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra for repeatedly failing to appear before it in an alleged hate speech case.
The Krishnagar court also directed that an execution report of the arrest warrant against Ms. Moitra be submitted before it on August 28.
The case against Ms. Moitra was filed on allegations that she insulted women and made hate speech. The court had issued pre-cognisance summons to her in connection with the complaint.
Noting that she had failed to appear despite repeated summonses, the 3rd judicial magistrate at the Krishnanagar Court ordered that an arrest warrant be issued against Ms. Moitra immediately.
The judge had on Tuesday directed the TMC MP to appear before the court the next day, but noted that she was not present.
“The series of disobedience of the order of this court .... goes to show the lackadaisical approach of the accused to comply with the court order and accordingly, this court is left with no other option but to issue a warrant of arrest against her,” the court said in its order.
The judge noted that the lawyer representing Ms. Moitra said she would not appear before the court at any point of time, holding that she has “No respect for the court of law”.
The lawyer for the MP also expressed apprehension that she might be heckled outside the court premises if she appeared.
A top official of Krishnanagar police district said the complaint case was filed against her under sections 79 (insulting modesty of woman), 196 (promoting enmity between groups), 299 (outraging religious feelings), 351 (criminal intimidation) and 353(2) (hate speech) of the Indian Penal Code.
The development comes amid ongoing legal scrutiny of elected representatives. Courts have increasingly stressed the importance of complying with summons to ensure the smooth functioning of the judicial process.
Ms. Moitra, a prominent leader of the Trinamool Congress, has not yet issued a public statement regarding the court's order.
