The Delhi High Court has concluded a long-standing legal challenge against the 1988 ban on the import of Salman Rushdie’s novel “The Satanic Verses,” stating the absence of any official record of the ban’s notification. The proceedings, which questioned the legitimacy of the Rajiv Gandhi government’s decision to restrict the book’s entry into India, were dismissed as the relevant authorities were unable to produce the original notification document.
The bench, which included Justice Saurabh Banerjee, noted that despite thorough searches, no evidence of the notification dated October 5, 1988, which purportedly banned the book under the Customs Act, could be found. The petitioner, Sandipan Khan, had argued that he was unable to import the novel due to this notification, which was neither available online nor in the possession of the concerned authorities.
“The Satanic Verses” was banned shortly after its publication when it was deemed blasphemous by Muslims worldwide, leading to widespread controversy and legal actions in various countries. In India, the book was prohibited to maintain law-and-order, following global protests.
Khan’s petition, initiated in 2019, sought not only to challenge the import ban but also aimed to overturn other related directives issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1988. He also requeste the court to facilitate the legal importation of the book from its publisher or international e-commerce platforms.
