NEW DELHI / MUMBAI: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed American novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford's petition challenging a Calcutta High Court order allowing telecast of mega serial Karishma: A Miracle of Destiny on Sahara TV, but set aside the order imposing heavy cost and damages on her.
This has paved the way for a smooth telecast of one of the biggest serials ever to be made in the history of Indian television till date. On the serial also hinges a lot the future of Sahara Manoranjan that is battling to gain eyeballs and advertising revenue from the likes of Star Plus and Sony. 
The channel has been airing the series without much fanfare at the originally scheduled time slot of 9.30 pm weekdays since 21 July, when the Calcutta HC allowed Sahara to go ahead with the telecast. The broadcaster however did not publicise the second soft launch (the first, originally scheduled launch was on 12 May which was aborted after the first episode after Bradford petitioned the Indian courts). Industry sources say it was to pre-empt any further legal obstacles that Sahara took the decision to start telecasting the series as soon as the High Court cleared it. 
Bradford had petitioned the Supreme Court immediately after the Kolkata HC directed her to pay damages to the channel for the losses suffered by it in not being able to telecast the series thus far. Today's SC verdict puts the seal on Bradford's petition, although the blow has been softened by repeal of the payment of damages directive.