Author: Manjari Mishra
Publication: The Times of India
Date: March 23, 2007
The Lucknow bench of the Allhabad high court
on Thursday directed the UP government to report what action it intended to
take over the fatwa issued by the All-India Ibtehad Council (AIIC) against
exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen.
The division bench comprising Chief Justice
of the Allahabad HC Hemant Laxman Gokhle and Justice Pradeep Kant passed the
directions in a PIL filed by lawyer Adarsh Mehrotra, who evoked mandamus to
restrain the "unconstitutional and undemocratic order passed by AIIC
president Taqi Raza Khan, which was offending to the sovereign spirit of the
Constitution of India".
The bench ordered the state to apprise the
court of the line of action it proposed to follow in 10 days. The petition
is slated for next hearing on April 5. Khan had offered a reward of Rs 5 lakh
for anyone who eliminates the 'notorious writer'.