Author Arundhati Roy, after making public statements that Kashmir was not a vital part of India, is being investigated by the Indian government and could face jail time if charged with sedition.
The Booker Prize-winning author is also a vocal proponent of human rights, and has become a controversial figure in India for her support of "tribal groups," reports the Telegraph. That paper also noted that under Indian law, it is illegal to "bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the government established by law in India."
Roy has defended her statements, saying in an emailed statement that, "What I say comes from love and pride. It comes from not wanting people to be killed, raped, imprisoned or have their fingernails pulled out in order to force them to say they are Indians."
Kashmir is the hotly contested border region between India and Kashmir that has been the home of a militarized rebel group since 1989. Both India and Pakistan govern a section of the region, but both claim it in full. Syed Ali Shah Geelani, a Kasmiri seperatist who spoke with Roy at the event where some of her remarks were made, may also face sedition charges, the AP reports.
The Hindustan Times has reported that a decision to charge Roy could be politically motivated by pressure from hardline Indian nationalist groups.