The Supreme Court Monday stayed the trial of a case in the Delhi High Court against actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar for holding a protest outside the prime minister's residence four years ago.

A bench of judges N. Santosh Hegde and S.B. Sinha stayed the trial on a special leave petition filed by Raj Babbar, who is also a Samajwadi Party MP, challenging the proceedings.

The bench issued notice to the Delhi government on the petition.

The petition was directed against a high court judgment dropping certain charges against Raj Babbar but retaining some others resulting in the trial against him.

The charge was that he along with Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh had led the demonstration to demand adequate drinking water supply in his constituency Agra. Government properties were allegedly damaged in the protest.

Police arrested both the leaders and charged them under sections of the Indian Penal Code.

They were subsequently released on bail, following which the leaders filed a petition before the high court for quashing the charges on the ground that they had only been exercising their democratic rights by protesting and they had not indulged in violence.

The high court quashed all the charges against Amar Singh but did not do so in the case of Raj Babbar.