SC refuses to stay HC order against Deshmukh

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to stay a Bombay high court judgment making remarks against former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh in a case involving allotment of 20 acre land to filmmaker Subhash Ghai's institute.

The apex court, however, said it will hear in detail the petition filed by Deshmukh, now a Union minister, seeking expunging of remarks made by the high court in its February 9 judgment.

"We will hear in detail the petition (filed by Deshmukh) as it is not a case to be dismissed at threshold," a bench of justices H L Dattu and C K Prasad said when Deshmukh's appeal was opposed by senior counsel Ram Jethmalani, who appeared for those challenging the allotment of land.

The bench issued notices and sought a response within four weeks from the petitioners, on whose plea the high court had passed the verdict, directing filmmaker Subhash Ghai to return the land allotted for his film institute, Whistling Woods, back to the state government.

The apex court also issued notices to the Maharashtra government and the Maharashtra Film, Stage and Cultural Development Corporation along with Ghai's Mukta Arts, which were parties to the public interest litigation in the high court.

While declining to stay the judgment vis-a-vis remarks against Deshmukh, the bench said, "Once this court has decided to hear the matter in detail, there is no question of stay."

Deshmukh had filed a petition against the Bombay high court's order, which scathingly indicted the former CM, stating that he had "misused his official position" by showing "undue favours."

The high court had given the order on a PIL filed by Rajendra Sontakke and four other agriculturists of Latur and Osmanabad districts, alleging "gross abuse of power" by Deshmukh in allotting the land.