Delhi High Court Dismisses Case on 'The Satanic Verses' Import Ban

The Delhi High Court has dismissed a long-pending petition against the 1988 ban on importing Salman Rushdie's 'The Satanic Verses'. With authorities unable to produce any notification supporting the ban, the court assumed it never existed, allowing the petitioner potential legal actions concerning the book.

The Delhi High Court has wrapped up proceedings on a longstanding petition challenging the import ban of Salman Rushdie's contentious novel, 'The Satanic Verses'. The case stemmed from a 1988 decision by the Rajiv Gandhi government, spurred by widespread criticism from the Muslim community who called it blasphemous.

A bench led by Justice Rekha Palli passed an order on November 5, observing that due to the absence of the crucial notification, the matter was rendered irrelevant. The bench declared that the petitioner, Sandipan Khan, is now free to act within legal bounds regarding the book.

The inability of any government body to present the notification led the court to presume its non-existence, prompting a conclusion to the pending litigation. The petition had also challenged directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs and sought permissions for book imports from publishers or global e-commerce platforms.

(With inputs from agencies.)