Orissa High Court Raises Concern Over Misuse Of State Emblem, Calls For Awareness Among Citizens & Officials
The Orissa High Court last week expressed serious concern over the rampant misuse and violation of the provisions of the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005, as it stressed the need for greater awareness among both citizens and government officials about its proper use. A Bench of Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice Murahari Sri Raman was hearing...
The Orissa High Court last week expressed serious concern over the rampant misuse and violation of the provisions of the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005, as it stressed the need for greater awareness among both citizens and government officials about its proper use.
A Bench of Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice Murahari Sri Raman was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) plea filed by 'Alone Trust', represented through its managing trustee, Danda Santosh Kumar.
The plea highlighted several instances of misuse of the State Emblem of India and sought relevant directions from the court.
Taking serious note of the issue, the Court observed:
"There is no fetter on the part of the Court in passing a direction for initiation of a proceeding against the persons, who violate any of the provisions of the said Act or misuses the State Emblem of India but this Court feels that the larger issue is required to be addressed so that the misuse of such Act can be prevented and there should be a spreading of awareness into a common citizenry of the State, including the officials while using the State Emblem of India".
Therefore, to assist in achieving the objective of preventing misuse and spreading awareness in this regard, the Court appointed Senior Advocate Manoj Kumar Mishra, President of the Orissa High Court Bar Association, and Senior Advocate Subir Palit as Amicus Curiae in the case.
The matter will be taken up again on September 2, 2025.