An Indian court has ordered a leading Bengali poet to stand trial on charges of defiling a Hindu goddess

BBC News:

The court in India's West Bengal state was ruling on a lawsuit filed against Sunil Gangopadhyay by an ex-policeman.

In an article in Bengal's biggest newspaper this year, Mr Gangopadhyay was quoted as saying he was "sexually aroused" by an idol of Saraswati.

Retired policeman Bhibhuti Bhusan Nandy filed a lawsuit saying the comments had hurt his religious sentiments.

Additional chief judicial magistrate in Calcutta's Alipore court, Manjit Singh, ordered Mr Gangopadhyay to appear in court on 3 December.

The court also ordered legal proceedings against three others - Aveek Kumar Sarkar, editor of the Anandabazar Patrika newspaper, its publisher Bijit Kumar Basu, and chief executive Subir Mitra.

Mr Gangopadhyay, 71, was quoted in Anandabazar as saying he had kissed an idol of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning, to satisfy his desire.

Mr Nandy, who has retired as the chief of the paramilitary Indo-Tibetan Border Police, filed a formal complaint with the police against the author.

"I am delighted the court has started appropriate legal proceedings," Mr Nandy said.

Writer sued for 'defiling' idol