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On Monday, the Supreme Court stayed an order of criminal contempt proceedings against well-known author and activist, Arundhati Roy. The proceedings were initiated suo motu by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court in 2015 due to some allegedly made remarks against the judiciary for not granting bail to former Delhi University professor GN Saibaba’s, who was facing criminal charges for being a Maoist “sympathiser.”
Roy has challenged the proceedings before the Supreme Court. The bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar admitted the appeal and stayed the proceedings. This implies that the case against Roy would not proceed in the high court until the apex court decides her plea, which as per the SC rules would be heard after three years.
Significantly, earlier today, to the court’s query whether Roy would apologise for her remarks, her counsel answered in negative.
“Arundhati wrote an article on the medical condition of the professor. But she never criticised the judiciary for not granting Saibaba bail as has been alleged.”, said a lawyer reported Hindustan Times.