Thackeray didn't turn up in court today, but his lawyer Rajendra Shirodkar filed an application seeking exemption for the day on medical grounds. However, Thackeray's plea was not opposed by Azmi's lawyers Majeed Memon and Abbas Kazmi, as the matter couldn't be argued due to absence of the magistrate.

The other two accused in the case, printer-publisher of the Sena mouthpiece Saamna

Subhash Desai and its executive editor Sanjay Raut made an appearance.

The case was filed on July 14 this year following an editorial published on Saamna

on July 1, 1998 in which it was alleged that Azmi was an accused in the serial blasts case and had secured bail from the Supreme Court. The editorial alsoalleged that Azmi had agitated for the release of other blast accused, and pointed out that before the serial explosions, Azmi was instrumental in sending some of the accused to Pakistan for training in arms and explosives. Hence his hands were stained in blood and a pillar should be erected in memory of the blast victims where Azmi should be publicly hanged, the editorial added.

Azmi filed a complaint under Sections 499, 500, 501, 502 and 114 of the Indian Penal Code.