Actor's 'arrest' outside court: HC demands apology from bizman

Delhi High Court today pulled up a businessman and his personal assistant for their "appalling" conduct of getting actor Rajpal Yadav arrested from outside the court premises on the pretext of discharging an arrest warrant which had already been cancelled.
The court demanded a written apology on an affidavit from them to it as well as the actor and added they should be prepared to pay damages to Yadav.
A bench of justices Gita Mittal and P S Teji observed that the conduct of Delhi-based businessman M G Agarwal, who had loaned Rs five crore to Yadav and his personal assistant (PA) Rajeev Sharma, was "tantamount to contempt of court" as the arrest of the actor from outside the High Court premises was "wrongful confinement".

"We are appalled at how you (businessman's lawyers) treat people. Conduct brought to our notice is criminal contempt. It is wrongful confinement. In our view it is tantamount to misuse of process of law and also prima facie obstructs the appellant's (Yadav) freedom," the bench said after hearing Yadav's statement.
"There can be no justification for this conduct. Tender an unconditional apology. Be prepared to pay damages," it said and added "we are extremely pained by this".
According to Yadav's tearful statement, on March 19 as he left the High Court, the complainant's PA along with their lawyers and two police officers arrested him in pursuance of a warrant issued by a trial court in a cheque bounce case.

He claimed the warrant, which was issued for not appearing before the court, was later cancelled by the same trial judge on his plea, but his pleas to this effect fell on deaf ears as the other side was bent on getting him arrested.
He was arrested and then released barely half a kilometre from Karkardooma Court complex, where the cheque bounce case is going on, after the cops confirmed the warrant had been cancelled, Yadav said.
The actor said he will pay the remaining principal amount of Rs 3.42 crore from the Rs five crore loaned to him along with whatever interest the High Court fixes, but pleaded for justice for the harassment he has allegedly faced at the hands of Agarwal.