Orissa High Court Quashes Criminal Case Against 146 Villagers Who Gathered In Church Amid COVID Restrictions To Offer Prayers For Departed Soul

Case: Midiyan Pani & Ors. v. State of Orissa

Coram: Justice Sashikanta Mishra

Case No.: CRLMC No. 701 of 2023

Court Observation: “…this Court finds lack of evidence of any criminal intention on the part of the Petitioners, rather, the congregation was for a pious reason to pray for a departed soul. Obviously, no criminality can be attributed in such a case.”

“It has not been indicated as to how big the Church was and what was the distance maintained between the Petitioners. That apart, there is absolutely no evidence to show that because of such congregation any person was affected by Corona virus immediately or shortly thereafter. It is to be noted that the sole purpose of issuing the guidelines by the Government was to stop the spread of Corona virus. As already stated, there is no evidence even, prima facie, to show that any such infection had happened because of the congregation in question,”

“This Court finds the reasoning of the Hon’ble Single Judge of the Madras High Court quite applicable to the facts of the present case as has been narrated hereinbefore”

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