Shubha Shetty Saha & Puneet Nicholas Yadav

Mumbai/New Delhi: In a major reprieve for MF Husain, the Delhi high court on Thursday quashed three of six obscenity cases pending against the eminent painter. Dismissing the cases, in which the 92-year-old artist was accused of hurting religious sentiments, promoting enmity between religious groups and selling obscene material, the court maintained that the allegations were “baseless”.

Husain’s nude depictions of Hindu goddesses had prompted Saffron groups to file the cases in Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Rajkot (Gujarat) and Pandharpur (Maharashtra), but these were transferred to Delhi last year on a Supreme Court directive. Reacting to the verdict, Husain told DNA from Dubai: “I am very happy that finally justice has prevailed. There’s no basis in any of these cases anyways.”

But the Delhi HC verdict is at best a temporary relief as four cases are still pending against the painter, who is living in self-imposed exile in Dubai from 2006.

“It will be some time before I come back to India. There are three more cases against me. I am sure they will get sorted out as well. I am highly optimistic. I have already mentally booked my plane ticket for Mumbai,” Husain said.

Husain’s lawyer Akhil Sibal said Thursday’s judgment would determine the course of the other cases as well.

“Three of six [similar] cases have been quashed. The remaining too should be governed by today’s judgment,” Sibal said.

“[Most importantly] the ‘Bharat Maata’ painting case has been dismissed and complaints over that from different quarters won’t be heard anymore. The court termed the painting ‘not obscene’.”

Husain’s ‘Bharat Maata’ painting and his nude depictions of Hindu goddesses have made him the target of right wing groups such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, Hindu Jan Jagriti Samiti and Shiv Sena. Last December, members of a few of these groups disrupted an exhibition of Husain’s paintings at Delhi’s India International Centre (IIC), among many such attacks against the painter in different cities in the country.

Husain’s son Shamshad was delighted after the judgment.

“I am very happy. My father has dedicated his life to Indian art. It’s sad that he is staying away from home because of these allegations.”

Source : DNA