New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday exempted noted painter M F Husain from appearing in person before a city court on March 6 for allegedly portraying Hindu gods and goddesses in his works in an indecent manner and hurting religious feelings. Justice Ravinder Bhat asked Husain to mark his presence before the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) through his counsel on Tuesday. The Court was hearing a revision petition filed by Husain challenging the order passed by ACMM summoning him to personally appear before it in a batch of complaints filed against the painter. On February seven, while issuing summons, the ACMM had also pulled up the Delhi police for dragging their feet in investigating the complaints against Husain.

Besides Husain, the court had also summoned socialite Nafisa Ali in a complaint registered in Indore. All complaints which were filed against the painter have been transferred to Delhi after a Supreme Court order. A doctor of Apollo Hospital Ram Pratap Singh had filed a complaint accusing Husain of hurting religious feelings by painting "nude or scantily-clad" portraits of Sita, Draupadi and Bharat Mata."(PTI)