By IANS

New Delhi : A Delhi court Wednesday summoned eminent painter M.F. Husain to appear before it in a case pertaining to some of his works that have allegedly hurt religious sentiments of some people.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) A.K. Kuhar directed Husain to appear before it March 29.

"Keeping in view the facts and circumstances of the case, the investigating officer (IO) is directed to expedite the investigation as already sufficient time has been given," the ACMM said in his order, directing the police official to produce the final investigation report by March 29.

Ram Pratap Singh, a doctor with the Apollo Hospital here, has filed the case. Earlier, Singh's counsel complained that there was a deliberate attempt to delay the police probe.

Singh filed a complaint in 2006 accusing Husain of hurting religious sentiments of public by allegedly painting "nude or scantily clad pictures of Bharat Mata, Sita and Draupadi", which reportedly appeared in a magazine and a national daily.

Husain, currently living abroad in self-imposed exile, is facing criminal prosecution for his controversial paintings in as many as six cases. The cases filed in different states were clubbed by the Supreme Court and transferred from different courts to the ACMM's court.