US-based novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford received a setback when the Supreme Court rejected her plea seeking a stay on the telecast of the Rs 60 crore Sahara Television serial Karishma -- The Miracles of Destiny.

Bradford had filed a suit against Sahara Television saying the serial was an unauthorised copy of her novel, A Woman of Substance. The serial, which marks the debut of Karisma Kapoor on the small screen, also stars Sanjay Kapoor, Arbaaz Khan, Jugal Hansraj and Arshad Warsi. Only one episode was aired on May 12 before the stay order was passed on the serial.

The Supreme Court waived the huge damages imposed on her by the Kolkata high court. The high court division bench had, on July 21, allowed the telecast of the 280 episode serial, after it found there was no proof it had been plagiarised from A Woman of Substance. It directing Bradford to pay damages for the delay in the serial's telecast as well as litigation costs. Bradford was asked to pay Rs 1.5 lakh to Sahara Entertainment for every week of delay in the serial's telecast since May 12; Rs 10,000 as cost for each day of the court proceedings and Rs 15,000 as cost for every day of the appeal court hearing.

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