Supreme Court declines stay on publication of book on Asaram Bapu, directs expeditious trial

The Supreme Court, on Friday, declined to interfere with the September 22 order of the Delhi High Court vacating the trial court stay on the publication of the book titled “Gunning for the Godman: The True Story Behind Asaram Bapu’s Conviction”..A three-judge bench of the top court comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and Sanjiv Khanna, however, directed the Patiala House court to wrap up trial in the matter by May, 2021.."Dismissal of this special leave petition will not come in the way of the petitioner to seek appropriate relief before the trial court. We direct the Trial Court to dispose of the suit expeditiously, preferably by the end of May, 2021,"the order said..The top court has left it open to the Petitioner, Sanchita Gupta to approach the High Court in a review petition to place on record developments subsequent to the passing of the trial court's order, if so required..The Patiala House court of Delhi on September 4 directed the publisher, Harper Collins to restrain from publishing the book on the self-styled Godman till the next date of hearing.Soon thereafter, Harper Collins moved the Delhi High Court against the stay order..A Justice Najmi Waziri led bench of the High Court, on September 22, set aside the interim stay on the publication of the book. .The trial court had, on September 30, issued notice in the Petitioner’s application for amendment of the plaint as well as the application under Order XXXIX, Rule 2A of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 against the directors of Harper Collins Publishers India Pvt. Ltd.The substance of the petitoner's averment was that Harper Collins was "willfully disobeying the trial court’s order dated September 4 while it was in force till September 22 by not only releasing the book but also continuing to sell it despite notice.".Asaram has been sentenced to life imprisonment in a 2013 case of sexual assault on a minor. The petitioner, Sanchita Gupta is a close aide of Asaram and a co-accused in the sexual assault case..Gupta was represented by Senior Advocate Devadutt Kamat, who was instructed by advocates Naman Joshi and Karan Khanuja in the petition filed through Advocate-on-Record, Jasmeet Singh. .(Read order)