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The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a petition by the Maharashtra government seeking a ban on a controversial book on Shivaji written by US scholar James W. Laine.

The Maharashtra government had approached the apex court in 2007 after the Bombay High Court lifted the ban imposed by it on Laine’s book Shivaji — Hindu King in Islamic India on the grounds of disturbing social harmony.

This was the second relief from the Supreme Court for Laine, who had also been booked in a criminal case after his book’s release in 2003. The court had earlier given a clean chit to the author by quashing the case and had now cleared his book.

A criminal case was registered against him in January 2004.