Ludhiana: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was on Wednesday issued a stern warning by a court in Mansa – either ensure personal appearance at the next hearing in a complaint case, or risk cancellation of bail.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Rajinder Singh Nagpal passed the order in the ‘Nazar Singh Manshahia vs Bhagwant Mann & Others’ case. It pertains to a defamation case involving former MLA Manshahia.
The chief minister had sought exemption from personal appearance, citing an important meeting in Chandigarh. But the court took a serious view of his absence, pointing out that he had not appeared even once since October 20, 2022. His repeated absence in court has hindered the progress of the case, the court proceedings, the ACJM said.
The court had already dismissed Mann’s earlier request to appear via video conferencing, and explicitly directed him to appear physically during proceedings.
Despite such a clear directive, another exemption petition was filed on similar grounds.
Stating that such repeated applications on “vague grounds” reflect Mann’s conduct and attitude towards judicial proceedings, the court granted exemption for the day, but issued a directive to Mann’s counsel to ensure his presence on the next date of hearing.
Failure to comply will lead to cancellation of bail and initiation of coercive measures to secure his appearance, the order spelt out.
