MP High Court Lifts Stay on Arrest Warrant Against TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee in Defamation Case

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has lifted the interim stay on an arrest warrant issued against Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee in a defamation case. The warrant was originally issued by a special court in Bhopal in 2021, following a complaint filed by former Indore MLA Akash Vijayvargiya.

Justice Pramod Kumar Agarwal of the High Court dismissed Banerjee's petition on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, after noting that no one appeared on behalf of the petitioner during the hearing. The court observed that the petitioner appeared to have lost interest in pursuing the plea. Consequently, the interim stay granted in November 2025 on the execution of the arrest warrant was lifted.

The defamation case stems from a speech Banerjee made at a rally in Kolkata in November 2020, where he allegedly referred to Akash Vijayvargiya as a 'goon.' Vijayvargiya, the son of senior BJP leader and minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, filed the defamation suit in the MP-MLA court in Bhopal in 2021. The court issued an arrest warrant against Banerjee, who then approached the High Court for relief.

In his petition, Banerjee argued that as a Member of Parliament, he was unlikely to abscond. The High Court had initially stayed the warrant's execution on November 12, 2025. However, with the failure of Banerjee's legal team to appear at the hearing on June 17, 2026, the court dismissed the petition and vacated the stay. The court also directed that a copy of the order be sent to the Bhopal court for further action.

Banerjee, the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, is the general secretary of the TMC. He is also under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate in separate corruption cases, though that investigation is unrelated to the defamation proceedings.

The lifting of the stay means that the Bhopal court can now proceed with the arrest warrant, subject to any further legal remedies Banerjee may seek. Legal experts note that Banerjee could potentially appeal the High Court's decision or seek bail upon arrest. The case highlights the ongoing legal battles between political figures from rival parties.