New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea seeking to prohibit the sale, circulation, and display of Arundhati Roy’s book, ‘Mother Mary Comes to Me’, as its cover depicted her smoking a ‘bidi’ or a cigarette, which is in contravention of the law.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi dismissed the appeal filed by one Rajasimhan against the Kerala High Court order dismissing a PIL on the issue.

CJI’s remarks

“She is a renowned author. She has not promoted such a thing. There is a warning in the book, and she is a prominent person as well. Why do such a thing for publicity? There is no hoarding in the city with the picture of the book. It is for someone who will take the book and read it. Her picture with it does not portray any such thing,”

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