Tuesday, August 9 2005 20:00 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court today (Aug 9, 2005) asked Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray to file a fresh petition within three weeks seeking transfer of a defamation case filed against him by former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chaggan Bhujbal from a Nasik court to Mumbai court.

The court observed that Thackeray had not mentioned his age while urging the court to transfer the case on the grounds of old age.

Justice Abhay Oak asked Thackeray to withdraw the present petition and file a fresh petition within three weeks.

In the case registered in 1997, Thackeray had allegedly made certain remarks against Bhujbal at a public rally and his comments were later published in Shiv Sena mouthpiece "Samana".

Being aggrieved, Bhujbal filed a defamation case in a Nasik court against Thackeray, Executive Editor Sanjay Raut and Sena leader Subhash Desai.

However, since both Bhujbal and Thackeray are based in Mumbai, Thackeray moved the high court requesting to change the venue of the case to Mumbai.