Abu Azmi seeks ban on 'Black Friday'

New Delhi, June 7 (UNI) Samajwadi party member of Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra Abu Azmi has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking a ban on the circulation and publication of novel ''Black Friday -- the true story of Bombay blasts'' Mr Azmi, who is also the president of Maharashtra Samajwadi Party has sought the ban on the grounds that in the novel he has been depicted as a ''traitor and conspirator'' which is defamatory and violative of Article 21 of the constitution.

The novel is an abuse of the fundamental right of freedom of expression by the author Husain Zaidi, the petition said seeking an order to the respondents -- the Centre and Maharashtra government -- to withdraw from circulation all the copies of the controversial novel.

He has also alleged that ''innocents'' were arrested in the case and the novel is nothing but a ''sedative description of the bomb blasts conspiracy.'' As many as 257 people were killed in the bomb blasts that rocked Mumbai in March 1993. Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, Abu Salem and Dubai-based Memon brothers are the main accused in the case. Dawood ibrahim and Memon brothers have been declared absconders in the case.

The screening of a Hindi movie ''Black Friday'' based on the novel, which was published in 2002, has already been banned by the Bombay High Court and a petition challenging the High Court order is pending before the apex court.

The petition was filed by the producers of the movie Multimedia Center.

UNI AKS/SC YA BST1646