HC stays proceedings on January FIR against Budhiraja

The FIR in question was registered on January 3 for his failure to appear before the court as ordered in a 2018 criminal case registered against him for defacement in a public place

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday stayed further proceedings in the January 2024 FIR registered by Panchkula police after Karnal Lok Sabha seat Congress candidate Divyanshu Budhiraja was declared as a proclaimed offender by a court.

In his plea before the high court, he had submitted that he appeared before the trial court on May 3 and had secured bail. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The FIR in question was registered on January 3 for his failure to appear before the court as ordered in a 2018 criminal case registered against him for defacement in a public place.

In his plea before the high court, he had submitted that he appeared before the trial court on May 3 and had secured bail.

The petitioner is facing the trial under Section 3-A of the Prevention of Defacement to Public Property Act, 1984, which is a compoundable offence, and he has moved an application for compounding the said offence, in which notice has been served upon the Municipal Corporation, his lawyer Partap Singh had told the court.

The high court bench of justice Kuldeep Tiwari while posting the matter for hearing on August 22 stayed further proceedings in the FIR and sought a response from Haryana Police by the adjourned date.