Nadia Court Issues Arrest Warrant Against TMC MP Mahua Moitra in Hate Speech Case

Kolkata, August 19, 2026: A court in West Bengal’s Nadia district on Wednesday issued an arrest warrant against Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra after she repeatedly failed to appear before the court despite summons in an alleged hate speech case.

The warrant was issued by the 3rd Judicial Magistrate at the Krishnanagar court, and not by the Calcutta High Court. The court directed that a report on the execution of the warrant be submitted on August 28, 2026.

According to the court proceedings, Moitra had been summoned to appear in connection with a complaint alleging objectionable remarks concerning women and religious sentiments. The court noted that she had failed to appear despite being given repeated opportunities to comply with its directions.

The magistrate observed that the repeated non-compliance demonstrated what the court described as a “lackadaisical approach” towards its orders and concluded that it had no option but to issue an arrest warrant.

Moitra’s legal team reportedly raised concerns about her safety, telling the court that she apprehended being heckled outside the court premises if she appeared in person. The proceedings also recorded submissions regarding her continued absence.

Different from the Calcutta High Court proceedings

The latest warrant should not be confused with a separate hate-speech-related case before the Calcutta High Court. In July, the High Court had granted Moitra interim protection from coercive action in that matter, while directing her to cooperate with the investigation and appear before the investigating officer on August 14. The protection was made conditional on her cooperation.

Moitra subsequently appeared before police in connection with that investigation, according to reports published on August 14.

The Supreme Court had also declined earlier this month to entertain Moitra’s challenge to the Calcutta High Court’s direction requiring her to appear before police in that separate case.

The latest development therefore concerns a Nadia/Krishnanagar court proceeding, where the immediate issue is Moitra’s repeated failure to appear pursuant to summons. The issuance of an arrest warrant does not, by itself, amount to a finding of guilt in the underlying hate-speech allegations.

The court has now sought an execution report by August 28, making that date the next significant development in the proceedings.