The Madhya Pradesh High Court has stayed a special court’s order for the issuance of bailable warrants against former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and State BJP President V D Sharma in a criminal defamation case. The court noted that the two leaders are contesting in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and are busy with it. The special court here had on Tuesday issued bailable warrants against Chouhan and Sharma for not furnishing undertakings in the criminal defamation case filed by Congress Rajya Sabha member Vivek Tankha. Earlier on Tuesday Jabalpur’s Special MP-MLA Court had issued a bailable warrant in the defamation case against former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, State BJP chief V D Sharma and MLA Bhupendra Singh. The three leaders did not get relief from the court in the defamation case of Rs 10 crore filed by Congress Rajya Sabha member Vivek Tankha. The court also rejected the application given by Chouhan, Sharma and Singh to appear on June 7. The court has now ordered the three leaders for personal appearance on May 7. Special Judge Vishveshwari Mishra issued this order.

 

At the same time, the court said that all senior leaders of BJP should ensure compliance with the orders of the court and present exemplary conduct among the common people. Non-compliance of court orders due to personal busyness will affect the mental state of the common people. The lawyer appearing on behalf of Chouhan, Sharma and Singh presented an application in the court, in which he wrote that he is a senior leader of BJP and elections are going on at present. Therefore, due to his busy schedule, he is unable to appear in the court himself. The court expressed displeasure over the application and rejected it and reprimanded the lawyer. Now the next hearing of the case is scheduled on May 7, in which the three leaders will have to be present in person. A defamation complaint of Rs 10 crore filed by Rajya Sabha member Tankha in MP-MLA Court Jabalpur against the three BJP leaders.