SC rejects Hussain's plea to file future cases against him in Delh

New Delhi, Feb 4 (UNI) The Supreme Court today turned down the plea of eminent and controversial painter M F Hussain to issue directions that in future all cases related to the offending paintings by him should be filed only in Delhi courts and nowhere else.

Hussain is facing several criminal cases for his paintings offending the nationalist sentiments of the people of the country as well as the religious sentiments by making obscene paintings of 'Bharat Mata' and Gods and Goddesses.

A bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, Justices C K Thakker and R V Raveendran asked senior counsel Harish Salve for the petitioner, ''How can we pass such an omnibus order taking away the jurisdiction of all courts in the country.'' The court, however, transferred to the Patiala House court, New Delhi, a case filed by Dwai Payan Venkatesh Acharya Varkhedkar pending in the court of ACMM Pandharpur, Maharashtra.

The apex court also stayed all further proceedings in the case and also stayed the non-bailable warrant issued by the ACMMs court.

According to the complainant, there is a book titled 'Anti-Hindus' written by Prafulla Godaria and K R Phanda, which shows how this painter has been systematically indulging in hurting the religious and nationalist sentiments of the people of the country by making such offending paintings and he has been deliberately doing this.

Six other criminal cases are already pending against Hussain in the Patiala House court.

The painter has been showing the nude portrait of some of the Gods and Goddesses and his main defence is that he has not given any titles to these paintings.

UNI AKS/SC DS DS1637