INDIA BUSINESS WORLD SEPTEMBER (1^st - 15^th) 2007
The Month that was ...

SUPREME COURT TRANSFERS CASE AGAINST M F HUSAIN TO DELHI

THE Supreme Court has transferred to the court of additional chief metropolitan magistrate, Delhi, a case of obscenity filed against eminent painter M F Husain by an advocate in Haridwar in Uttaranchal.

A bench comprising Justice B N Agrawal and Justice P P Naolekar, transferred the case after Husain filed a fresh petition seeking transfer of the case on the ground that since a number of similar cases filed against him in different parts of the country had earlier been transferred to Delhi by the apex court. The complainant, Arvind Kumar Shrivastava, had sought initiation of criminal proceedings against Husain for allegedly displaying obscene paintings of Hindu gods and goddess on his official website.

In December last year, the apex court had transferred all pending cases against the painter to Delhi after Husain claimed that at the age of 91 years it would be difficult for him to appear in different courts. Cases of obscenity for alleged obscene paintings with suggestive captions on Hindu gods and goddess were earlier filed against Husain in various courts of Rajkot, Indore, Bhopal and Pandharpur (Maharashtra) by different persons.

Husain had said since the allegations against him in different complaints were similar in nature, transferring the same to Delhi would enable him to fight the cases at one place.