As a novelist, Arundhati Roy warned us about the power of the police to enforce the injustice of mobs. Her best-selling 1997 novel, The God of Small Things tells of the love story between Ammu, a single mother who has fled her abusive husband to return to her wealthy family’s estate, and Velutha, an Untouchable servant.

At its climax – and yes, this is a spoiler – the affair is exposed, Velutha is blamed for the unrelated death of a female cousin, and he is beaten to death by the police, his death covered up by the chief of police and the family’s demonic aunt, who has incited the town against him.

Now the mob has come for Arundhati Roy in real life, backed up by the police. Perhaps she was always too vocal about India’s injustices. In more recent years, she has become a particular critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose cartoonish brand of Hindu-nationalist demagoguery could have come right from the pages of one of her sardonic novels.

Last week, permission was granted by Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor to try Roy for speech crimes under India’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. This is a 1967 law, updated by Modi in 2019, which is termed “UAPA” in shorthand, “the anti-terror law” by Modi supporters, and “repressive”, “authoritarian” and “draconian” in the press releases of international human rights organisations.

Suspects arrested under UAPA are rarely offered bail, and often face years in jail without trial.........

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