Police directed to submit report in cases against Hussain by Feb 7

New Delhi, Feb 3 (UNI) A local court today directed the police to submit the final report in a case against artist M F Hussain and India Today editor Nafisa Ali, against whom various charges including of obscenity had been filed, by February 7.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Dr Kamini Lau, after hearing the arguments, listed the matter for filing of the final report in the case pertaining to an FIR which was registered against Mr Hussain and Ms Ali under sections 153 A (promoting enimity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc and doing acts prejudicial to maintainancy of harmony, offence committed in place of worship, etc), section 292 (sale of obscene books, etc) and 294 (obscene acts and songs) of IPC in March, 2006.

The court held that artistic freedom should not be enjoyed to the extent of hurting the feelings of any religious deliberate.

The counsel for the complainant argued that there was a delebrate attempt on behalf of the competent authority to delay the investigation on one ground or the other.

The court took notice of the fact that the investigating officer had only recorded the statement of the complainant, Dr Ram Prakash Singh, while the statements of other witnesses had been recorded only after the court had taken serious note of the delay on the last date of hearing.

Additional Commissioner of Police, Connaught Place G L Mehta, will submit the final report before the court on February 7 to initiate proceedings with regard to sanctions for the offence under section 153 A of IPC.

UNI