Delhi Court Delays FIR Decision in M.F. Husain Painting Controversy

A Delhi court has reserved its decision on whether to direct the registration of an FIR against the owners of Delhi Art Gallery (DAG) over allegations of displaying “offensive” paintings by artist M.F. Husain.

Earlier this week, the court instructed the Delhi Police to seize photographs of the disputed artworks.

Judicial Magistrate Sahil Monga of Patiala House Court reserved the order on a plea filed by advocate Amita Sachdeva, who claimed the paintings depicted Hindu deities in nude forms, offending religious sentiments.

Sachdeva stated that she photographed the artworks during a visit to the gallery in December and filed a police complaint.

However, no FIR was registered, and the paintings were removed when she revisited the gallery. The exhibition, Husain: The Timeless Modernist, featured over 100 paintings and ran from October 26 to December 14.

Arguing that M.F. Husain’s reputation as a globally acclaimed artist does not excuse insulting religious beliefs, Sachdeva sought an FIR under Section 299 of the BNS (deliberate and malicious acts to outrage religious feelings).

DAG claimed it is cooperating with the police and accused the complainant of amplifying the images by sharing them on social media and television while asserting they offended her.