KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Thursday criticised an advocate for filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against the cover of Arundhati Roy’s book Mother Mary Comes To Me, which features the author smoking, allegedly without a statutory health warning.

During the hearing of the PIL filed by Advocate Rajasimhan seeking a ban on the sale, circulation, and display of the book with the present cover design, the Division Bench questioned the nature and seriousness of the PIL, asking, “What kind of a PIL is this?” Noting that the petitioner had not examined the entire book, the court remarked, “When you file a PIL, how can you say you have not seen the book?”

The court then asked the petitioner’s counsel to clarify whether he wished to pursue the matter before the competent authority under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act (COTPA), or to argue the case on merits. The counsel said he intended to argue the matter.