‘Opportunity to accused of being heard’: Moga court issues notice to Swati Maliwal in defamation case
AAP MLA Amandeep Kaur Arora alleges Maliwal insulted Punjab legislators by calling them “bhed bakri”; court asks former AAP leader to appear on June 10
Maliwal, an AAP rebel, recently switched to the BJP along with six other AAP Rajya Sabha members.
A Moga court of Judicial Magistrate First Class Ashima Sharma has issued notice to Delhi Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal in a defamation case filed against her by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Moga, Amandeep Kaur Arora.
Maliwal, an AAP rebel, recently switched to the BJP along with six other AAP Rajya Sabha members.
Arora had filed the case against Maliwal alleging that the latter used the term “bhed bakri” (sheep and goats) for Punjab’s AAP MLAs.
The court has ordered Maliwal to appear “either in person or through counsel” on June 10. Summoning Maliwal under Section 223(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the court, in its order, said: “As per provision to Section 223(1) of BNSS, no cognizance of an offence shall be taken by the Magistrate without giving accused an opportunity of being heard.”
“Let pre-cognizance notice, affording opportunity of being heard, to respondent/accused be issued under the provision of Section 223(1) of BNSS, 2023 for 10.06.2025, through ordinary process,” the court said in its order.
The court further said that the “respondent/accused is at liberty to appear either in person or through counsel”.
Arora had said: “We had sent Swati Maliwal ji to the Rajya Sabha so that she can raise issues in Parliament, but she called Punjab MLAs ‘bhed bakri’. She is an educated woman and still she talks like this. We, the AAP MLAs, only sent her to Rajya Sabha. I have recorded my statement in the court. The level of politics has stooped so low that educated people won’t enter politics in future. Such language reflects the mentality of some people. We are not sheep and goats but well-educated elected representatives of the people. Several AAP MLAs in Punjab, including me, are qualified doctors, many are lawyers, teachers, etc. We don’t deserve to be called sheep and goats.”
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