The Madhya Pradesh High Court has lifted an interim stay on an arrest warrant against Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee in a defamation case. The decision comes after the court dismissed Banerjee’s petition challenging the warrant issued by a special MP-MLA court in Bhopal. The High Court, sitting through a single bench led by Justice Pramod Kumar Agarwal, rejected Banerjee’s plea and ordered that a copy of the order be sent to the trial court for further action. Sources say Banerjee’s petition had sought relief on the basis that he is a Member of Parliament and is unlikely to abscond. However, during the hearing, no one appeared on behalf of the petitioner. Noting the absence, the court concluded that Banerjee appeared to have lost interest in pursuing the matter and proceeded accordingly.
The defamation case was filed by BJP former MLA Akash Vijayvargiya in 2021. The complaint alleges that Banerjee referred to Vijayvargiya as a “goon” during a rally in Kolkata in November 2020. The High Court’s order removes the stay that was granted in November 2025, meaning the arrest warrant can now be acted upon.
