Jabalpur: Readers Digest (RD) has tendered unconditional apology to the Madhya Pradesh High Court for publishing a distorted map of India in its January 2002 issue.

The magazine, in its January 2002 issue, had published an Indian map showing Jammu and Kashmir outside the geographical borders of the country.

Justice A K Mishra yesterday (Dec 25, 2003) disposed off the petition filed by N S Thakur, who prayed for action against the respondents - magazine editor Ashok Mahadevan and Henry Hurt, the writer of the article - for publishing the distorted map.

The petitioner claimed that he along with thousands of Indians were hurt by the aforesaid publication having an "effect on the integrity of the nation and encouraging subversive activities in the country".

"The map be treated at par with Indian national flag, National Anthem and Constitution of India and be made part of the act of the Prevention of Insults to National Honours Act 1971," he said.

Mahadevan and Hurt submitted an unconditional apology before the court. Justice Mishra observed that the editor and the writer ought to know that publication of incorrect map is a punishable offence in India.

The magazine published the correct map in its November 2003 issue.

"The apology and correct map of India ought to have been published by respondents during the pendency of the petition before November 2003, which would have saved them from criminal prosecution," the judge observed.