After HC directive, Oxford University Press India issues public apology to Chhatrapati Udayanraje regarding 2003 controversial book

Kolhapur: Acting on the Bombay high court, Kolhapur bench's directive on Dec 17, 2025, the Oxford University Press (OUP) India through its former MD Sayeed Manzar Khan has issued a public notice tendering an apology to Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale, the 13th descendant Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and the public at large for "unverified statements" on four pages of the book "Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India", authored by James Laine.The book was published in 2003 and a controversy erupted over the same in 2004, leading to a violent attack on a Pune-based history research centre. The OUP India said in the notice that it has found the references on four Pages 31, 33, 34 and 93 in the book as unverified and regrets the same.Based on a private complaint filed by Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale, a magisterial court on April 2, 2005, issued process under Section 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code against OUP India's Sayeed Manzar Khan and three others. Khan and others then moved the Bombay high court against this order and the matter was pending. The matter was referred to the HC Kolhapur bench where Justice Shivkumar Dige heard the matter on Dec 17, 2025. The lawyers representing Khan and the others submitted that the petitioners were ready to tender an apology to the respondent 1 (Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale) and they will publish the said apology letter in widely circulating Marathi and English newspapers, on national level.The high court then disposed of the petitions on these terms, giving a 15-day time for the petitioners to publish the apology and also quashing and setting aside the magisterial court's April 2, 2005, order of criminal defamation process against Khan and others.In an e-mailed response to queries sent by TOI, the UOP India representative Ruchika Tandon stated, "OUP India publishes a wide range of resources, with a variety of perspectives across different disciplines. The title in question was published for a brief period more than two decades ago in India. In response to concerns about the title's content which were raised at the time, we took prompt steps to recall the title and withdraw it from circulation.""Proceedings before the Mumbai High Court have now concluded, following a hearing on 17 December 2025. Our products and services support education and research across the world. We always seek to consider cultural sensitivities and context carefully to ensure that our products can be read and enjoyed by as many people worldwide as possible," the statement read.