Bhopal: A local court today (Oct 4, 2004) ordered that a non-bailable arrest warrant (NBW) be issued against BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) leader Uma Bharti on October 16, if she fails to appear before it on October 15 for hearing in a defamation case filed against her by Congress Leader Digvijay Singh.

Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Vinod Kumar Dubey pronounced a consolidated injunction to this effect on a petition filed by Singh in November 17 last year, seeking criminal proceedings against Bharti for making defamatory statements against him during electioneering for Assembly polls.

Bharti had reportedly claimed to have evidence linking the then Chief Minister Digvijay Singh with Rs 1500 crore income tax scam involving an Indore-based industrialist.

Despite Singh terming the allegations false and even offering a probe by any agency including CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation), Bharti kept on levelling corruption charges, Singh's counsel Ajay Gupta said.

Bharti had been seeking exemptions on different pretexts and was absent from the court on all seven hearings since December 15, 2003, Gupta said.

The court observed that she was aware of the summons and should present herself before the court on October 15.