Kolkata: A local court in West Bengal’s Nadia district ordered the issuance of an arrest warrant against Trinamool Congress (TMC) Member of Parliament Mahua Moitra after she failed to comply with judicial directives requiring her physical appearance in connection with an alleged hate speech case. The third judicial magistrate at the Krishnanagar court directed law enforcement authorities to submit an execution report concerning the warrant by August 28.
The legal proceedings stem from a complaint alleging that the Krishnanagar lawmaker made derogatory remarks insulting the modesty of women and engaged in hate speech. The magistrate’s court had previously issued pre-cognisance summonses to Moitra. Despite explicit instructions issued on Tuesday directing the parliamentarian to appear in person the following day, she remained absent during the proceedings.
In the ruling, the presiding magistrate observed that the continuous failure to honour court directives demonstrated a lackadaisical approach toward judicial authority. The court noted that it was left with no viable alternative other than issuing an arrest warrant, highlighting that counsel representing Moitra stated she would not appear before the bench at any point, which the court viewed as demonstrating a lack of respect for the rule of law.
Legal counsel representing Moitra expressed security concerns, arguing that the MP feared being heckled or attacked outside the premises if she appeared in person. Senior police officials from the Krishnanagar district confirmed that the complaint against her includes multiple provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, specifically relating to insulting the modesty of women, promoting enmity between groups, outraging religious feelings, criminal intimidation, and hate speech.
