
MUMBAI, November 12: The defamation case filed by Samajwadi Party8217;s city unit president Abu Asim Azmi against Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray and two others was today adjourned to January 20, 1999 with the consent of both parties because Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate A A A Kidwai was not present.
Thackeray didn8217;t turn up in court today, but his lawyer Rajendra Shirodkar filed an application seeking exemption for the day on medical grounds. However, Thackeray8217;s plea was not opposed by Azmi8217;s lawyers Majeed Memon and Abbas Kazmi, as the matter couldn8217;t be argued due to absence of the magistrate.
The other two accused in the case, printer-publisher of the Sena mouthpiece
Subhash Desai and its executive editor Sanjay Raut made an appearance.
The case was filed on July 14 this year following an editorial published on
on July 1, 1998 in which it was alleged that Azmi was an accused in the serial blasts case and had secured bail from the Supreme Court. The editorial alsoalleged that Azmi had agitated for the release of other blast accused, and pointed out that before the serial explosions, Azmi was instrumental in sending some of the accused to Pakistan for training in arms and explosives. Hence his hands were stained in blood and a pillar should be erected in memory of the blast victims where Azmi should be publicly hanged, the editorial added.
Azmi filed a complaint under Sections 499, 500, 501, 502 and 114 of the Indian Penal Code.