The Hindu : Front Page : Apex court stays criminal case against Lapierre

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 24, 2005

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Front Page

Apex court stays criminal case against Lapierre

Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the criminal proceedings initiated against Dominique Lapierre, French author of a book on the Bhopal gas disaster, and his publisher Shekar Malhotra by Madhya Pradesh Director-General of Police Swaraj Puri. A Bench, comprising Justice K. G. Balakrishnan and Justice P. P. Naolekar, issued notice to Mr. Puri and Javier Moro, France-based publisher of It was Five Past Midnight in Bhopal, on a petition from Mr. Lapierre and Mr. Malhotra seeking transfer of the complaint outside Madhya Pradesh.

They said Mr. Puri was holding a powerful position and could influence witnesses.

On his criminal complaint against Mr. Lapierre and Mr. Malhotra, a Jabalpur court issued summons to the publisher to appear before it on September 26.

The complaint said the writer had not portrayed the incident properly as well as the police role in the right perspective.

Civil suit

Mr. Puri also filed a civil complaint seeking a $20-million compensation and to restrain the publishers from printing, selling and circulating the book. The Jabalpur court issued notices to the author and the publisher on this petition also.

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