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Court Rejects Activist's Plea

The Delhi High Court declined to entertain a petition filed by anti-dam activist Bhanu Tatak on Friday. Tatak claimed that she was unjustly prevented from traveling abroad for her studies. Representing the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), and the Immigration Bureau, permanent counsel Ashish Dixit argued that the petition was not maintainable before the Delhi High Court. He pointed out that the petitioner is facing multiple criminal charges in Arunachal Pradesh, which led to the issuance of a Lookout Circular (LOC) at the request of the Superintendent of Police (SP) in Itanagar.

The bench, led by Justice Swarnkant Sharma, concurred with the government's arguments, stating that the Delhi High Court lacked territorial jurisdiction to consider the matter. The court advised the petitioner to seek appropriate relief from the High Court of Arunachal Pradesh and subsequently dismissed the petition. Earlier this month, Tatak approached the court after being stopped by immigration officials at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport while attempting to board a flight to Dublin.

According to the petition, the 30-year-old resident of Arunachal Pradesh was scheduled to travel to Dublin City University for a three-month course starting September 7, 2025. Despite possessing a valid invitation letter and travel documents, immigration officials informed her that she could not board the flight due to the LOC issued against her. The petition further stated that despite repeated requests to the investigating authorities in Arunachal Pradesh, neither she nor her family members were ever provided with a copy of the LOC.