BHUBANESWAR
The Orissa high court has quashed charges of ‘human safari’ leveled by police against a tour operator, which took foreign tourists on trips to areas inhabited by particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs).
“The allegations made in the FIR do not disclose commission of any cognizable offence against the petitioners. The initiation of the criminal proceedings and continuance of the same against them is an abuse of the process of court,” said judge S C Parija in a recent ruling. The judge also rapped the sub-divisional judicial magistrate, Bhubaneswar, for having taken cognizance of the case. “The impugned order of cognizance has been passed by the learned magistrate mechanically and without application of mind,” he observed.
Full report here Times of India
