Jalandhar, August 12, 2023: As per media reports, The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jalandhar, Amit Kumar Garg, has issued non-bailable warrant (NBW) against AAP’s Jalandhar West MLA Sheetal Angural in a case wherein he had been repeatedly seeking exemption from appearance.
According to the news published in The Tribune, the case pertains to the use of objectionable words by him and others against a city-based woman on social media in 2017. He had been booked under Sections 506 & 509, IPC, and the IT Act.
This court is of the view that by not producing a copy of the passport, Angural is not complying with the orders of the court and it clearly shows that he is challenging the judicial system. Court order
The court has cancelled his bail and surety bonds.
Angural, who was to appear in the court on Friday, had sought exemption from appearance on the ground that he had to attend an urgent piece of work at the Vidhan Sabha, Chandigarh. The court observed that he did not even submit any supporting document for seeking the exemption.
The court order reads, “Perusal of the file reveals that the challan was presented in May 2018 and at that time also the accused failed to appear despite issuance of non-bailable warrant against him. He was declared a proclaimed offender in November 2019. He had, later, appeared after being released on bail and has been moving exemption applications on one ground or the other.”
The court noted that he had sought exemptions on the last 18 dates of hearing in the court since July 2022.
The court had also received a complaint in June this year that MLA Angural had visited England without the permission of the court after which the court had asked him to produce a copy of the passport for verification, which too had not been submitted.
The order reads, “This court is of the view that by not producing a copy of the passport, Angural is not complying with the orders of the court and it clearly shows that he is challenging the judicial system and moving exemption applications by taking the court proceedings for granted, which is clearly abuse of concession of bail.”
The court noted that the cases relating to MP/MLAs were required to be disposed of expeditiously and it appears that the modus operandi of accused was to stall the trial.
It said, “If such concession of allowing the exemption is given to the MLA on every hearing, it would certainly send out a wrong message in society as well as complainant who dared to take action against such influential persons because nobody is above the law.” –The Tribune added.
