Laine ready to apologise for remarks

The author’s decision, which is based on a suggestion made by the high court, is set to resolve the issue to the government’s satisfaction. Senior counsel for the state, Shekhar Naphade, informed the judges that following a ‘‘long discussion’’ with the chief secretary and additional secretary, it has been decided that the issue would be resolved.

The court had suggested a clarification by Laine to end the ‘‘prolonged controversy’’ that began with the attack on the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI), which assisted him in research, and resulted in the state filing an FIR against the author and his publishers. Oxford University Press had filed a petition in the high court seeking to quash the FIR.

Senior counsel Mahesh Jethmalani and Pranav Badheka, appearing for OUP, today conveyed Laine’s willingness to submit an apology to a division bench of Justices S. Radhakrishnan and R.S. Mohite.

Jethmalani submitted a draft of the apology, but the bench asked for certain changes. It wanted the author to specify that he has instructed his publishers to delete the offensive paragraph from all editions. This deletion, they said, would also have to be made in copies of the book that the publishers have with them. The hearing has been adjourned to April 27.