The Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed the lower court proceedings against M F Husain, whose paintings allegedly hurt religious sentiments of people.

The lower court issued summons to Husain earlier this month to appear before it on March 29.

Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul of the high court stayed the proceedings on Husain’s petition through his counsel.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate A K Kuhar on January 9 directed Husain to appear before it following a complaint by an Apollo Hospital doctor, Ram Pratap Singh.

Singh in his 2006 complaint accused Husain of hurting religious sentiments of a section of people through his “nude or scantily-clad pictures of Bharat Mata, Sita and Draupadi”.

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