Kerala HC rejects PIL to ban Arundhati Roy's new book
The Kerala High Court has dismissed a petition aimed at banning Arundhati Roy's new book, "Mother Mary Comes to Me," because its cover shows her smoking a beedi without a statutory warning.
Filed last month by advocate Rajasimhan, the PIL argued that the image violated tobacco laws and could send the wrong message to young readers.
Court says tobacco law issues should be handled by authorities
The petitioner claimed the cover glamorized smoking, especially for girls, and wanted sales blocked unless warnings were added.
But recently, in October 2025, the court said the publisher already included a disclaimer clarifying that the image was just for representation and didn't promote tobacco use.
The judges also pointed out that tobacco law issues should be handled by designated authorities—not through public interest litigation in court—and warned against misusing PILs for such matters.