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The Supreme Court Tuesday issued notice to Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy asking her to show cause why contempt proceedings be not initiated against her for her defiant stand against the judiciary in a matter pertaining to a protest rally held before the court by Narmada Bachao Andolan in December last year.
The court found the writer's remarks against the judiciary "prima facie contemptuous".
These remarks find mention in her affidavit filed in response to a petition seeking action against NBA leader Medha Patkar, lawyer Prashant Bhushan and Roy for allegedly making derogatory remarks against the judiciary during a dharna by NBA.
Discharging Patkar and Bhushan from the proceedings, a bench comprising Justice G B Pattanaik and Justice Ruma Pal took strong exception to the way Roy attributed motives to the judiciary and later took a defiant stand.
Justice Pal, writing for the bench, said "We find the remarks of Roy prima facie contemptuous... she has imputed motives to the court and accused the courts of harassing her."
The bench said it was conscious of the fact that she stood by her remarks while issuing notice to her.
The court had reserved its verdict on August 2 saying if it felt that there was nothing against the respondents, it would discharge them. However, if it was of the view that an inquiry was needed to establish facts, it would order one.
On the other hand, if the court finds any of the respondents' remarks made in the affidavit prima facie contemptuous, separate notices would be issued, it said
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