Bailable warrant issued against Union minister Tomar in defamation case

A local court Tuesday issued a warrant against Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar in a defamation case filed by a Congress leader for his alleged objectionable remarks against Rahul Gandhi in 2016.

Chief Judicial Magistrate R K Singh issued the bailable warrant against the minister as the latter failed to appear before the court on Tuesday, as directed by it on May 1. Tomar's lawyer Narendra Trivedi said he had filed a petition under CrPC Section 205 to exempt the minister from appearance, but the court issued the warrant.

Trivedi said he would move the Jharkhand High Court against the warrant by the lower court.

Congress leader N K Azad filed the defamation suit over the minister's reported derogatory remarks made while comparing Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi on January 9, 2016. Tomar was addressing BJP workers at New Town Hall here. The judicial magistrate had first rejected the defamation petition.

In the subsequent revision petition, the then district judge sent the case for trial and the judicial magistrate took

cognizance of the matter under IPC Section 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace). Subsequently, Tomar's lawyer obtained a stay on the case from the Jharkhand High Court.

As the six-month period of the stay over the case lapsed in April, the complainant filed a petition for re-opening the

case in the lower court. PTI COR PVR SBN SRY