Azam moves court pleading no coercive action be taken against him

Lucknow: Former Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan today moved a court here pleading that it should not take any coercive action against him in connection with an alleged defamatory statement made against IPS officer Amitabh Thakur.

The court set the matter for further hearing on June 6.

The order came from Chief Judicial Magistrate Sandhya Srivastava. The CJM had earlier on December 13, 2016 taken cognisance of the offences against Azam and issued summons for his appearance. But when Azam did not respond, the CJM issued bailable warrant against him on April 4.

Azam had challenged the proceedings pending before the CJM in the high court, which yesterday directed the state government and Thakur to file reply within three weeks.

The high court had meanwhile directed the CJM not to take any coercive action during pendency of the petition.

—PTI