Alipore Court issues arrest warrant against Babul Supriyo

The Alipore Court on Friday issued an arrest warrant against Babul Supriyo, BJP MP and minister of state for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise, in connection with a complaint lodged by Trinamool Congress MLA Mahua Moitra, who claimed he had passed comments to outrage her modesty during a debate in a television news channel.

She had lodged a complaint with Alipore Police station a day after Supriyo had passed the controversial comments on January 3.

The police had submitted the charge-sheet in this connection with Alipore Court on Thursday and booked him under Section 509 of the Indian Penal Code.

The Court on Friday issued an arrest warrant against Supriyo as he failed to turn up for interrogation despite being summoned thrice by the police.

Based on Moitra's complaint, the police had sent a notice to Supriyo asking him to turn up to Alipore police station for interrogation. He failed to show up, stating that he had prior commitments. He had informed the police that as the Parliament was in session, he would be busy.

After few weeks, the police again had sent him a notice summoning him to turn up for interrogation.

This time too Supriyo did not turn up and informed the police that he was busy with prior commitments pertaining to official work of his ministry.

Both times he had sent letters to the police about his pre-scheduled programmes. He had stated in the letters that he is a "law-abiding citizen" and requested the police to give him another day to turn up for interrogation.