Mumbai: The Bombay High Court today (April 15, 2004) suggested US-based author James Laine to consider withdrawing distorted remarks about Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji written by him in a book published by Oxford Printing Press.

Hearing a petition filed by Oxford Printing Press to quash FIR (first information report) filed by Pune Police, Justice S Radhakrishna and Justice R S Mohite also inquired whether Laine would offer an explanation in writing about these remarks to the effect that he had no doubt that Shahji was indeed Shivaji's father.

Laine's lawyers Mahesh Jethmalani and Pranav Badheka said they would inform the court tomorrow whether Laine would offer such an explanation. They said the author had tendered an apology for making objectionable references about Shivaji in the book titled 'Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India'.

On a query by the court whether the Government would consider withdrawing prosecution against Oxford Printing Press and its India representative Mazhar Khan, senior counsel Shekhar Naphade said he would seek instructions from the State. However, he argued that leniency should not be shown in such cases, otherwise the guilty would go scot-free.

The book had drawn protests from several quarters. A group of members of Sambhaji Brigade had on January 5 stormed into the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune and destroyed manuscripts and artefacts. Although Laine had tendered an apology, the mob ransacked the Institute as he had drawn material for the book from its library.

Jethmalani argued that a scholarly book in history cannot attract penal provisions for promoting enmity between two groups. They said the book did not intend to put one community against the other.