NEW DELHI, March 6: The Indian supreme court on Wednesday sentenced Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy to a symbolic imprisonment for a day and a fine of 2,000 rupees (41 dollars) for speaking against its judgment on a controversial dam project.

Roy, charged with contempt of court, will be jailed three more months if she fails to pay the fine. She is expected to decide about paying the fine in a day.

Roy participated in a sit down in December 2000 to protest with several hundred people from the Narmada valley in front of the Supreme Court, which allowed the construction of the dam on the Narmada river.

Narmada Bachao Andolan, a group Roy is part of, believes the construction of the dam will displace 40,000 families in the valley.

Following the judgement, Roy, who won the Booker Prize in 1997 for “The God of Small Things”, said that she stood by what she said and was prepared to suffer the consequences.

Before being taken to jail, Roy said: “The quality of this judgement will be assessed by the people of this country. The message is clear. Any citizen who dares to criticise the court does so at his or her own peril.”—dpa