The Delhi High Court has effectively lifted a three-decade-old ban on importing Salman Rushdie's controversial novel, 'The Satanic Verses', due to the Indian government's failure to produce the original notification that imposed the restriction. Initially banned in 1988 under then-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi following Muslim protests, the ban has been challenged in court since 2019 by Sandipan Khan. The inability to trace the official order led the court to presume its non-existence and rule the petition infructuous, allowing for the book's importation. The ban had been in place alongside 20 other countries since the book's release in 1988. This decision marks a significant moment for free speech, highlighting the complexities of censorship and religious sensitivities in India. Rushdie faced notable backlash, including a fatwa from Iran's Supreme Leader in 1989, forcing him into hiding for years.