Monday, April 25 2005 22:15 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Bollywood actor and former Censor Board chairman Anupam Kher today (Apr 25, 2005) said he might withdraw the defamation case filed by him against CPM (Communist Party of India-Marxist) leader Harkishen Singh Surjeet, after the Left leader once again did not appear before the court, leading to adjournment of the matter till May 16.

"This being the sixth time the case has been adjourned; I am planning to withdraw the case against Singh not out of sympathy towards him," he told media outside the court.

Kher said: "Surjeet is seeking adjournments because he is afraid of facing me and the court and giving reasons of ill health. Looking at his age, I want to relieve him of the fear and he is the one who will be ashamed if the case is withdrawn.

Singh is not above law and even I am a busy man and just adjourning the matter will not take us anywhere," a visibly perturbed Kher said.

Earlier, the CPM leader's lawyer informed judge M H Belosay, that the Bombay High Court had stayed the bailable warrants issued against Singh till May 2.

The court has posted the matter to May 16.

Kher had filed a defamation case against the CPM leader for allegedly defaming him in articles published in a party publication describing him as an "RSS agent" and alleging that he (Kher) had saffronised the Censor Board as its Chairman.