Kerala HC stays case against Arundhati Roy's book cover

Entertainment Sep 25, 2025

The Kerala High Court is looking into a petition against the cover of Arundhati Roy's new book, Mother Mary Come to Me, because it shows her smoking and, according to the petitioner, does not have a statutory health warning.
The petitioner wants the book pulled from shelves, but publisher Penguin Random House India says there's already a disclaimer on the back cover.

Court suggests petitioner could try other legal routes

The court questioned why the petitioner didn't check the back cover before filing and suggested he could try other legal routes.
The publisher also pointed out that if this was really about public interest, similar complaints would have been filed against other books with smoking images.
For now, the case is on hold until October 7 as both sides wait for what happens next.