New Delhi, Nov. 12 -- The Supreme Court on Monday granted relief to Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan by staying the execution of bailable warrants against him in a defamation case filed by Congress Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha.

A bench headed by justice Hrishikesh Roy gave Tankha four weeks to reply on Chouhan's plea against the October 25 order of the Madhya Pradesh high court refusing to quash the defamation case.

"In the meantime, subject to the petitioners' effective participation with counsel as may be needed, before the concerned court, they need not be subjected to bailable warrants," the bench, also comprising justice SVN Bhatti said.

The defamation case is related to roll out of quota for other backward classes (OBC) ahead of...