Lower Court issues bailable warrant against former CM

Gangtok, Aug 9 (UNI) A lower court here today issued bailable warrant against former Chief Minister Nar Bahadur Bhandari to stand trial by August 31 on a defamation and forgery petition filed by another former Chief Minister B B Gurung.

The petition was filed today by Mr Gurung at the court where he said letters published in a Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee booklet bearing his signature was false and forged by the accused.

Mr Bhandari is also the state Congress president and five other Congress members were also issued similar warrants by the court.

Mr Gurung pleaded to the court that the signature in the three letters purported to have been written by him in the booklet was forged by the six accused persons with an intention to defame and tarnish his image.

''The judge took cognisance of the offence of defamation and forgery. The judge examined the complaint and the two witnesses and after being satisfied, he issued a bailable warrant of arrest against all six accused to stand trial before the court on or before August 31,'' said Anmole Prasad, advocate for the petitioner.

The SPCC booklet in question was published and distributed by the party on November last year.

UNI