Abu Asim Azmi, complainant and president of Samajwadi Party's city unit, sought action under sections 499, 500, 501, 502 and 114 of IPC against Thackeray, Sanjay Raut and Subhash Desai, working editor and printer-publisher respectively of Saamna, for carrying a `defamatory' editorial on July one.

The complaint, filed by Azmi's lawyer Majeed Memon, alleged that the impugned portion titled Ha Azmi Kon (Who is this Azmi?) was not just highly defamatory but scandalous and contemptuous as well.

The complaint alleged that the defamatory editorial said that Azmi's hands were stained with blood of victims of 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai. It also allegedly said that a pillar be erected in memory of victims where Abu Asim be hanged.

Besides, the defamatory text said Abu secured bail fromthe SC in the serial blasts case on the strength of his wealth, the complainant alleged. Abu Asim prayed that the entire text was frivolous, mischievous, scandalous and contemptuous as the Supreme Court had discharged him from serial blasts case on April 12, 1996. Additional chief metropolitan magistrate N B Pokharkar admitted the complaint and kept the matter for verification on August 14 next.