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

Jabalpur, June 18: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has lifted an interim stay on the execution of an arrest warrant issued against Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee in connection with a criminal defamation case pending before a special court in Bhopal.

Justice Pramod Kumar Agarwal, sitting as a single-judge bench, dismissed Banerjee's petition on Wednesday and vacated the stay that had been granted in November 2025 against the execution of the warrant.

The case stems from a defamation complaint filed in 2021 by former Indore MLA Akash Vijayvargiya, son of senior BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvargiya. The complaint alleges that Banerjee referred to Akash Vijayvargiya as a "goon" during a political rally in Kolkata in November 2020.

Following the issuance of an arrest warrant by the MP-MLA Court in Bhopal, Banerjee approached the High Court seeking relief. In his plea, he argued that as a sitting Member of Parliament, there was no likelihood of him absconding, and therefore the warrant should not be executed.

On November 12, 2025, the High Court had granted an interim stay on the execution of the warrant.

However, during the hearing on Wednesday, no one appeared on behalf of the petitioner. Taking note of the absence, the Court observed that it appeared the petitioner was no longer interested in pursuing the matter.

Consequently, Justice Agarwal dismissed the petition, vacated the interim protection granted earlier, and directed that a copy of the order be forwarded to the trial court in Bhopal.

Legal Significance

The order revives the arrest warrant issued by the MP-MLA Court and marks a setback for Abhishek Banerjee in the defamation proceedings. The case also underscores the importance courts place on diligent prosecution of petitions, with the High Court declining to continue interim relief in the absence of representation by the petitioner.