Court issues NBW against tourism minister Rita Joshi

ALLAHABAD The special court (MP/MLA) has issued a non-bailable warrant against UP tourism minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi for failing to turn up despite repeated summons in a case dating back to 2010, an official said.

Despite several reminders and summons, Joshi did not present herself before the court prompting the judge, Pawan Tiwari, to issue non-bailable warrant.

The special court, set up in Allahabad to exclusively try criminal cases pending against Members of Parliament and Legislative Assemblies, issued the warrant against Joshi and asked her to be present on October 31, the next date of hearing.

A case was registered against Joshi at Wazirganj police station in 2010 for violating Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and forcibly entering the Vidhan Bhawan during the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) regime.

It was also alleged that Joshi’s supporters had misbehaved with the police force.

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Joshi, who was Uttar Pradesh Congress chief in 2010, had allegedly violated prohibitory orders and organised a public meeting in Lucknow, and then led a march to the assembly, triggering a clash with the police.

Joshi has since quit the Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.

On December 14, 2017, the Supreme Court had ordered setting up of special courts in the country for cases against elected representatives after which the Centre set up 12 such special courts across 11 states in the country.