Bombay High Court extends relief for Urdu daily ex-editor

The Bombay high court on Wednesday further restrained the Maharashtra police from taking any coercive steps against Shirin Dalvi, former editor of Urdu newspaper Awadhnama, till February 17. It was hearing a petition filed by Dalvi, seeking to quash the complaints registered against her.

A division bench of justices Ranjit More and Anuja Prabhudessai extended the interim relief granted to her as the public prosecutor Sandeep Shinde was not available before the court. Thus Mihir Desai, counsel for Dalvi, sought adjournment and requested the court to continue the interim relief granted.

The now-closed newspaper had carried the cover page of French weekly Charlie Hebdo, which featured controversial cartoons , on its front page in its January 16 edition. After a series of complaints, the paper had issued an apology on January 17.

Following a series of FIRs registered against Dalvi in Mumbai, Thane and Malegaon, she moved the HC seeking quashing of the cases against her.