Warrant against Uma Bharti in defamation case

A local court in Bhopal on Thursday issued a warrant against Union water resources minister Uma Bharti for her failure to record a statement in a defamation suit filed against her by AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh. Issuing the warrant against her, the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) of Bhopal, B. Bhaskar, directed the local senior superintendent of police to produce her before the court during the next hearing in the case, fixed on October 19. The court’s order came in response to Ms Bharti’s plea through her counsel to hold inquiries and trial in her absence. Rejecting the plea, the CJM observed that she had not appeared before the court during trials in the past one year. On February 5, while responding to the application moved by Ms Bharti’s counsel indicating a move by rival parties to enter into a compromise in the case, the court ordered that the Union water resources minister and the Congress leader must be present on March 8 for possible mediation.

Ms Bharti was, however, represented by her lawyer on the day. Mr Singh has already deposed before the court.

Ms Bharti was slapped with the defamation suit when she alleged during the electioneering for BJP in 2013 Assembly elections that the Digvijay Singh tenure in Madhya Pradesh had witnessed scams worth Rs 15,000 crore.

Mr Singh has already made his position clear that he will not withdraw the suit unless she apologises for her comment.