As Government battles it out with Greenpeace on the Priya Pillai offloading case, the NGO won an interim plea against Essar’s attempt to enforce restrictions on Greenpeace at the district court in Waidhan, Singrauli district of the State.
The court has summarily rejected Essar Power MP ltd’s interim relief request to gag and restrain Greenpeace from speaking out against its mining plans in the forests of Mahan in Singrauli.
After filing a Rs500 crore lawsuit in Bombay High Court last year, to prevent Greenpeace from saying anything against Essar, this was their second attempt to browbeat locals in the villages of Mahan and stifle all voices of opposition against Mahan coal mine, which will feed Essar’s 1,200 MW thermal power plant.
In their interim relief request, Essar had pleaded with the court for Greenpeace to be restrained from being within a perimeter of 100 meters from the Essar power plant, their fly ash storage pond and their rehabilitation colony in Nagwa.
It had also pleaded for
an interim gag order that would prevent Greenpeace from making statements or publishing anything including media articles in print
or electronically on social media websites, leaflets, banners, etc.
The Court rejected the interim relief request and noted that Essar Power
had prima facie failed to establish its case for grant of interim relief.
The court also observed that the Essar Power had failed to prima facie make out its claim that the activities of Greenpeace in its periphery would be such that compensation would not be able to replace the damage.
Greenpeace India welcomes the court’s decision and declares that they will continue their battle against undemocratic and unconstitutional practices. Senior campaigner with Greenpeace India Priya Pillai said, “We welcome the court’s decision and are happy that the court has dismissed the plea. This was yet another Strategic lawsuit Against Public Participation (SlAPP) designed to attack freedom of speech.”