SC not to stay HC order making remarks against Deshmukh

The Supreme Court today 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 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 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 alloted for his film institute, Whistling Woods, back to government.