A Delhi court that had on Monday ordered the seizure of two paintings by the late artist M.F. Husain on display at an exhibition is likely to decide Wednesday whether or not to direct a police case.

Judicial magistrate first class Sahil Monga had on Monday ordered the seizure of the paintings displayed at an art gallery in the national capital after a lawyer filed a plea alleging the paintings hurt religious sentiments.

After hearing arguments, the magistrate had Monday reserved the order on an FIR.

The paintings feature Hindu deities Lord Hanuman and Lord Ganesh.

During the hearing on Wednesday, the complainant, advocate Amita Sachdeva, was quoted by PTI as having said: “This is obscenity. Depicted most revered deities in obscene manner a deliberate and malicious insult. Husain may be the greatest artist in the world, but he has no right to insult my deities.”

The advocate claimed there was an advertisement for the exhibition and thousands of people saw the painting of "deities being ridiculed".

"Prima facie case is made out for exhibiting such offensive paintings for public viewing and hurting religious sentiments," she claimed.

Ordering the seizure, the magistrate cited the police's action taken report.

The police report said the investigating officer had seized the security camera footage and the network video recorder of the art gallery.

The report also said the art exhibition was held privately and the paintings, including the two in question, were only to display the original works of Husain.

"At this stage an application has been moved by complainant for direction to the IO to seize the painting in question. In light of the facts and circumstances mentioned in the said application, the said application is allowed and IO is directed to seize the said painting," the January 20 order said.

Husain, a much decorated artist and a recipient of Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award, died in 2011 at age 95. He ran into controversy in his lifetime as well and was forced to leave India and live in self-imposed exile. In 2006, he had to apologise publicly for a painting titled Mother India.

This is also not the first time art has run into obscenity complaints in India in recent years.

In October last year, Bombay high court had restrained the customs department from destroying artworks by renowned artists F.N. Souza and Akbar Padamsee that had been seized in 2023 for being "obscene material".