Jabalpur: In a major legal setback for Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has lifted an interim stay on an arrest warrant issued against him. The order, passed by a single judge bench in Jabalpur, paves the way for the execution of the warrant originally ordered by a special court handling cases against lawmakers.
The case stems from a defamation complaint filed in 2021 by former Indore legislator Akash Vijayvargiya, who is the son of senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kailash Vijayvargiya. The lawsuit was initiated over controversial remarks allegedly made by Banerjee during a political rally in Kolkata in November 2020.
In his speech, the Member of Parliament had reportedly termed Vijayvargiya a goon. Following the legal complaint, a special court for public representatives in Bhopal issued an arrest warrant against Banerjee. The leader subsequently moved the High Court, which granted him temporary relief on November 12, 2025, by staying the execution of the warrant.
High Court Observations and Key DevelopmentsHowever, the latest judicial update has completely altered the scenario due to non appearance by the defense. During the hearing, no legal representative or counsel appeared on behalf of the Trinamool Congress leader.
Justice Pramod Kumar Agarwal observed: “No one has appeared on behalf of petitioner in the first round also. It seems that petitioner has lost interest in prosecuting this petition. Accordingly, the stay granted in favour of the petitioner is also vacated.”
Based on this observation, the court dismissed the petition and vacated the protection previously granted to the lawmaker.Legal Implications and Public ImpactThe lifting of the stay means that the original warrant issued by the Bhopal court can now be executed by law enforcement agencies, unless Banerjee secures an urgent intervention from a higher judicial forum.
This development comes at a time when the West Bengal politician is already navigating various legal challenges and independent investigations by central enforcement agencies. With the legal immunity withdrawn, the focus shifts to how Banerjee’s legal team responds to the looming threat of administrative action.