Husain-baiters move HC for financial relief

Want travel, lodging expenses paid after cases against painter are shifted to capital Delhi
NEW DELHI: Those who have filed cases against MF Husain for allegedly hurting Hindu sentiments with his controversial paintings were in for a nasty surprise recently, after the Supreme Court ruled that all cases pending against the noted artist in various courts across the country be shifted to the Delhi high court. While the decision came as a major relief for the nonagenarian painter, his detractors have been left sulking.
Seeing their move backfire, the complainants have now filed an appeal in the Delhi high court seeking compensation for expenses to come to the capital to fight cases against Husain who lives in London in self-exile. There are about six criminal cases pending against the 92-year-old in four states.
Last month, a Supreme Court bench headed by chief justice KG Balakrishnan ruled that a criminal case against Husain be shifted from a court in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, to the Patiala House courts in the capital, where two similar cases against him are pending. Husain’s lawyers Harish Salve and Mukul Rohatgi submitted that it would be appropriate to pass a general order stating that in future, all complaints against the artist’s work will be heard in Delhi.
Complainants Ajay Kumar Narula from Indore, Raj Kumar Pandey from Bhopal, Illyas Khan from Rajkot and others urged the high court to provide monetary relief to them as they cannot afford to visit Delhi frequently to pursue their cases. They argued that while in transferring cases pending against Husain in courts outside Delhi to a court in the capital, the apex court was granting relief to the artist, it was not taking into account the financial burden that the decision would put on them. The petition is likely to be heard soon.
Puneet Nicholas Yadav
Friday, March 14, 2008
y_puneet@dnaindia.net
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