Uma Bharati gets bail in defamation case

BHOPAL: Union Minister Uma Bharati appeared before Bhopal court and got bail in a 13-year-old defamation case filed against her by Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh.
The case was heard at the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class Ajay Singh Thakur as the Chief Judicial Magistrate Bhubhaskar Yadav was on leave. Thakur granted bail to Bharati on a security of Rs 10,000.The next hearing is scheduled on October 19. Bharti's lawyer Harish Mehta informed the court that Bharati couldn't come to court on September 29 as she was busy in a meeting on Cauvery water sharing.
CJM Yadav had issued a non-bailable warrant against her on September 29 for not appearing in his court since October 2015, saying that she had been given enough time in the case. Though on the same evening, additional district judge Ramkumar Choubey had stayed the lower court's order after Bharti's lawyer moved an application, saying that her statement could be recorded through a lawyer, and her presence is not necessary. The case was not of serious nature, the lawyer had then told the CJM.
In February, the then CJM Pankaj Singh Maheshwari had asked Bharati and Singh to attempt out-of-court settlement, but it did not work out. On securing bail on Monday, Bharati said, "I will never compromise on issues related to poor, woman security and cows."