The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed a Haridwar court order directing Mumbai police to attach the properties of noted painter M F Husain and other proceedings in the case.

A bench headed by Justice B N Agrawal also issued notice to the complainant in the case against him in Haridwar on Husain's petition seeking transfer of the matter to New Delhi.

The court of Special Judicial Magistrate K S Shukla in Haridwar ordered police to attach Husain's property after he repeatedly failed to respond to summons to appear before it, including at the last hearing of the matter on April 13.

Complainant advocate Arvind Shrivastava had filed a case against Husain for allegedly depicting Hindu goddesses in an obscene manner hurting the Hindu sentiments in the Haridwar district court in March 2006.

The case was transferred nine months later to the court of Magistrate Shukla, who issued a bailable warrant against the artist on January 2 after he failed to respond to summons.

Acting on the court's orders in Haridwar, police in Mumbai on Sunday began the process of attaching the house of painter Husain.