New Delhi, Feb 19 (IANS): A Delhi court Saturday issued non-bailable warrant against former Indian cricket team captain and MP Mohammed Azharuddin for not appearing in court on the day of final verdict in a cheque-bounce case, a lawyer said.

Metropolitan Magistrate Vikrant Vaid issued non-bailable warrant against Azhar, whose counsel Firoj Khan Ghazi said that he was busy campaigning in Uttar Pradesh for the ongoing assembly elections.

The court would next hear the case March 1.

According to complainant Sanjay Solanki, he helped Azhar in a deal to purchase a property in Bandra in Mumbai for Rs.1.5 crore.

As per the agreement to sell and purchase, Azhar agreed to pay double the amount of the initial amount of Rs.1.5 crore if the deal fell through due to his failure to comply with the terms.

When the deal did not mature due to Azhar's laxity, he refused to pay double the amount of the initial amount, the complainant's counsel Gurvinder Singh Talwar said.

Azhar issued two cheques of amount Rs.1.5 crore twice to the complainant, which were dishonoured.

Azhar during the framing of charge claimed innocence and told the court that he did not know the complainant personally and met him for the first time in court.

He added that he made the payment to the person who had set the deal as the agreement, carrying the MP's Delhi address, was made by another person. "That person told me that he had paid the money to Solanki," Azhar told the court July 21, 2011.