Argue, or we’ll decide on merit: MP HC on Abhishek Banerjee’s plea in defamation suit

Bhopal/Jabalpur: Extending the stay on execution of an arrest warrant issued against TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee by a special court in Bhopal, designated for hearing of cases against politicians, the MP high court on Monday said if his counsel doesn’t argue the case on the next date of hearing on June 16, the court will decide his application on merit.The special court in Bhopal had issued the arrest warrant against Abhishek Banerjee, who is also the nephew of former West Bengal CM Mamta Bajnerjee, in connection with a defamation suit file by Akash Vijayvergiya, son of state minister Kailash Vijayvergiya, in 2021 alleging that Banerjee had called him a “goonda” at a public meeting in Kolkata in 2021.Banerjee in his plea in the high court had said that he is a member of Parliament and there is no chance of his escape from the country and he should be given more time to appear in court due to his busy schedule.During hearing on his application on Monday, the bench of Justice Pramod Sharma extended the stay on execution of the arrest warrant but said that if the counsel for Banerjee doesn’t argue his side on the application on next date of hearing on June 16, the court will decide the matter on merit.