Defamation case: CJM Doda issues arrest warrants against Prof S K Bhalla

STATE TIMES NEWS

DODA: The Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Doda on Saturday issued bailable warrants of arrest against Prof S. K Bhalla, son of K. L Bhalla, resident of 386, Rehari Colony Jammu in the criminal defamation case filed against him by Doda based journalist Haq Nawaz Nehru.
The warrant issued by CJM Doda against Bhalla forwarded to SSP Jammu states “In the above titled case you are as such hereby directed to arrest Prof S K Bhalla and produce him in the court without any failure on or before July 14, 2023.
The CJM’s warrant also states that if the accused furnishes surety and personal bonds to the tune of Rs 10,000, he may be released and the warrant be returned back after its execution before the date.
In August 2020, Haq Nawaz Nehru had filed criminal defamation proceedings against S.K. Bhalla who on July, 26, 2020 had written a defamatory post on his face book handle leveling serious allegations against Haq Nawaz Nehru.
In Feb 2023, the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court had also dismissed a petition filed by Prof. SK Bhalla seeking transfer of a defamation complaint filed against him by Doda based journalist to Jammu.
Dismissing the plea, Justice M.A Chowdhary had ordered that the accused cannot be allowed to have a place of his choice to be prosecuted in a case of defamation, taking refuge of unfounded personal security.
The High Court had observed that the accused Prof S K Bhalla has to travel only from Jammu to Doda as an individual, whereas the complainant who is suffering from different ailments in his advance stage is Doda based journalist and his witnesses are also from Doda. Therefore, the High Court had stated that complainant journalist shall face more difficulty, physically as well as financially, to prosecute his complaint at Jammu, as compared to accused S K Bhalla to defend himself at Doda.