Cuttack, April 18: The Orissa High Court has stayed an order by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribe (NCST) directing personal appearance of Keonjhar Collector Ashish Thakare before the Commission.

The NCST has issued an arrest warrant against Thakare for repeatedly failing to appear for a hearing. It has also asked Police DG Sunil Bansal to ‘arrest and bring’ him before the Commission in New Delhi.

Hearing the matter on Monday, the Orissa High Court stated that it found a prima facie case in favour of the petitioner. Senior Advocate Ashok Parija was representing Thakare in this case.

“Perused the complaint, notices so issued to the Collector involved herein, response pursuant to such notices by the Collector and the provision so relied on by Mr.Parija, learned Senior Advocate and this Court is of the prima facie opinion that there is exercise of power by the Commission beyond scope and limits under the Rule, 2021, this Court finds a prima facie case in favour of the petitioner,” the HC’s order issued by a single-Judge bench of Justice Biswanath Rath stated.