Warrants against ex-MP

NEW DELHI, OCT 23: A Delhi court issued non-bailable arrest warrants against R. Venkatagiri, a former Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka in a defamation case filed against him for tarnishing the image of former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda. Venkatagiri was issued warrants after he failed to turn up in court for four consective hearings.

Additional District Judge R. Kiran Nath issued the non-bailable warrants returnable by December 20, when the former MP failed to turn up in court this Saturday for recording of evidence in the case.

The Union Government had, in 1996, filed the case through its standing counsel K.K. Manan after Venkatagiri authored two books — From Order to Anarchy, Politics and Economics of United Front Government and H D Devegowda, the King of Corruption and Unmaking of India. The author had allegedly made derogatory remarks against Gowda.