HC Upholds Right to Protest, Quashes Rayagada DM's Order

The Orissa High Court on Friday quashed a controversial order issued by the Rayagada collector that barred Bhawanipatna-based doctor Randall Sequeira from entering the district.

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @Cuttack

The June 4, 2025 order, which also applied to noted activist Medha Patkar and 22 others, was imposed ahead of a planned protest against proposed bauxite mining at the Sijimali hills.

Delivering the verdict, Justice SK Panigrahi held that blanket bans on protest activities are contrary to constitutional values. "In a constitutional democracy, the government should focus on dialogue and management rather than exclusion," the court said, emphasizing that reasonable regulation—not prohibition—is the appropriate response to concerns over law and order.