NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court declined to stay a judgment of the Bombay High Court which had made certain adverse remarks against former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh. The case relates to the allotment of 20 acres of land to filmmaker Subhash Ghai’s institute. A Bench comprising Justice H L Dattu and C K Prasad, however, said that it would hear the petition filed by Deshmukh, now a Union Minister, at length.
Deshmukh sought expunging of the remarks that were made by the High Court in its February 9 verdict.
“We will hear in detail the petition filed by Deshmukh as it is not a case to be dismissed at threshold,” Justice Dattu said. The Bench issued notices to Maharashtra, the Maharashtra Film, Stage and Cultrual Development Corporation and Mukta Arts, a cultural outfit of Subhash Ghai. The Bench directed them to file their replies within four weeks from Friday. The High Court had passed the orders directing the filmmaker to return the land to the State government. However, the Bench firmly declined to stay the verdict vis-à-vis the remarks against Deshmukh.
“Once this court has decided to hear the matter in detail there is no question of stay,” the Bench remarked. The High Court had indicted Deshmukh saying that he had misused his official position as the Chief Minister by showing undue favours. The orders of the High Court were passed on a PIL filed by Rajendra Sontakke and four other agriculturists.