India, Sept. 12 -- The Supreme Court has quashed criminal proceedings against noted sociologist and academic Ashis Nandy for his controversial remarks at the Jaipur Literature Festival in 2013, while also condemning his statements as "very objectionable".

A bench of justices K Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria noted that although Nandy's comments on corruption among disadvantaged groups were indefensible, the 90-year-old had already tendered an unconditional apology and should not continue to face cases that had hung over him for more than a decade.

"Though we condemn the statements made by the petitioner in the strongest terms, we are of the opinion that in the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case and also considering that the peti...