Jhansi court issues non-bailable warrant against Rakhi Sawant in 2010 suicide case

A court in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, has issued a non-bailable warrant against actress Rakhi Sawant in a 2010 suicide case linked to alleged insulting remarks she made against a local resident on her television show, a government lawyer said on Saturday.

District Government Counsel (Crime) Mridul Kant Srivastava said Civil Judge (Junior Division) Anjali issued the warrant on Friday after Sawant repeatedly failed to appear before the court.

The case relates to Laxman Ahirwar, a resident of the Hansari Prem Nagar area in Jhansi, who allegedly died by suicide on November 10, 2010, after being humiliated by remarks made by Sawant on her television show Rakhi Ka Insaaf, the lawyer said.

Ahirwar's mother, Savitri, had lodged a complaint at the Prem Nagar police station, alleging that Sawant had used insulting and objectionable language against her son during an episode of the show aired in October 2010.

According to the prosecution, Ahirwar and his wife, Anita, who hailed from Rajgarh, had been invited to the show following marital discord. Anita had returned to her parental home after disputes between the couple.

The next hearing in the case has been scheduled for December 1, Srivastava said.