Calcutta High Court stays arrest warrant against Mahua in hate speech case
Times of India | 25 August 2026
Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Monday stayed an arrest warrant issued against Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra in a case alleging that she insulted women and delivered hate speeches. The matter will be heard again on Aug 27.
A division bench of Justices Debangsu Basak and Aryak Dutt passed the order after a Krishnanagar court issued the warrant against Moitra for repeatedly failing to appear before it despite summonses. The third judicial magistrate at Krishnanagar, Dibyendu Das, had on Wednesday directed that an arrest warrant be issued against the MP and ordered that an execution report be submitted on Aug 28.
The case was filed against Moitra following alleged objectionable remarks, following which pre-cognisance summonses were issued. “The series of disobedience of the order of this court... goes to show the lackadaisical approach of the accused to comply with the court order and accordingly this court is left with no other option but to issue a warrant of arrest against her,” the magistrate had said.
Moitra had also secured interim protection from the HC in July in another case involving alleged objectionable remarks. The court had directed her to cooperate with the probe while restraining coercive action till Oct 5.