Supreme Court stays order against MF Husain

NEW DELHI: In a relief to noted painter M F Husain, the Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed an order by a court in Haridwar directing Mumbai police to attach his property as well as other proceedings in the case.

A bench headed by Justice B N Agrawal also issued notice to advocate Arvind Shrivastava, who had complained about the alleged obscene depiction of Hindu goddesses in Husain's paintings, on the artist's petition seeking the transfer of the matter from Haridwar to Delhi.

The court of Special Judicial Magistrate K S Shukla in Haridwar had ordered police to attach Husain's property in Mumbai after he repeatedly failed to respond to summons to appear before it, including at the last hearing of the matter on April 13.

Shrivastava had in March 2006 filed a case in the Haridwar district court against Husain for hurting the sentiments of Hindus by allegedly depicting goddesses in an obscene manner.

The case was transferred nine months later to the court of Magistrate Shukla, who issued a non-bailable warrant against Husain after he failed to respond to summons.

Acting on the court's orders, police in Mumbai began the process of attaching a flat believed to belong to Husain on Saturday. It later turned out that the property belonged to Husain's son.