SC stays criminal contempt proceedings against author Arundhati Roy

GN Saibaba was arrested in 2014 by the Maharashtra police for his alleged links with Maoists

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the criminal contempt proceedings against writer-activist Arundhati Roy in connection with her article supporting former Delhi University professor GN Saibaba. The case was being heard by the Nagpur bench of the high court.

In 2015, the Bombay High Court had issued a contempt criminal notice against Roy for criticizing its decision to reject G N Saibaba's bail plea. In an article published by the Outlook, Roy expressed reservations on his arrest too.

Justice Choudhari had issued a notice to writer Roy on an intervention plea filed by advocate Bhandarkar, who had blamed Ms.Roy for "interference with the administration of justice" for writing an article in the Outlook magazine.

Saibaba was arrested in 2014 by the Maharashtra police for his alleged links with Maoists. He was awarded life imprisonment along with five others for his links with Maoists, under the Unlawful Prevention of Atrocities Act (UAPA) in March 2017.

(With agency inputs)