SC stays Bhopal court's summons to Husain

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today stayed summons issued to noted painter MF Husain by a Bhopal court on a complaint accusing him of having outraged religious
sentiments of the people with his controversial paintings, including that of 'Bharat Mata'.

While staying the summons, a Bench headed by Justice BN Agrawal also restrained the trial court from conducting further proceedings in the matter.

91-year-old Husain had been asked to appear before the Bhopal court on July 27. The Bench directed that Husain's petition for transfer of his case from Bhopal to Delhi be tagged along with other such petitions filed by him which were already pending before the apex court.

Earlier, the apex court had on May 12 stayed a bailable warrant issued against him by a court at Pandharpur in Maharashtra on a similar complaint and had also restrained it from conducting further proceedings.

The court had on April 10 stayed a bailable warrant issued against him by an Indore court and stayed proceedings in another case pending in a court at Rajkot.

Senior counsel Mukul Rohtagi mentioned the transfer petition before the court and sought stay on the summons and the proceedings before the trial court.

Earlier, he had claimed before the court that the painting in question was a private painting and was put up for auction on the internet by somebody who named it 'Bharat
Mata'.

Husain's counsel told the court that he has apologised for it.