The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed for five weeks the non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued against Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala in a 23-year-old case by a Varanasi court for an alleged incident of arson and preventing public servants from discharging their duties.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud asked Surjewala to approach the trial court within four weeks to seek cancellation of the bail.

The case relates to an incident of alleged violence, arson and destruction of public properties by Congress activists, including Surjewala, in front of the district commissioner’s office in Varanasi during a protest rally in the year 2000.

“We permit the petitioner to move the trial court for cancellation of bail within four weeks. The warrant issued by the… shall not be executed for a period of five weeks,” the bench, also having Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said in an order.

The bench passed the directions on a request for urgent mentioning made by lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Surjewala.