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1h ago

Kerala High Court Dismisses PIL Challenging Arundhati Roy Book Cover

The bench ruled that questions under COTPA must be decided by the statutory Steering Committee.

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Overview

  • Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Basant Balaji dismissed the petition on October 13.
  • The PIL by advocate Rajasimhan sought to halt sales of 'Mother Mary Comes To Me' over a cover photo showing Roy smoking without statutory warnings.
  • The court recorded Penguin Random House India's statement that the back cover carries a disclaimer stating the image is representational and does not endorse tobacco use.
  • The judges criticized the petitioner for bypassing the COTPA mechanism, failing to verify facts, and not reading the entire book, cautioning against misuse of PILs.
  • The matter is recorded as Rajasimhan v. Union of India, WP (PIL) No. 117/2025, and a detailed written order is awaited with the petitioner free to approach the Steering Committee.