Odisha Police Arrest Doctor and Activist Over Anti-Mining Protests

Odisha Police arrested Dr Randall Sequeira and activist Laxman Naik on October 16, 2026, accusing them of instigating local tribals to attack security personnel during an April protest against bauxite mining in Kantamal village, Rayagada district. Sequeira was taken from his residence in Bhawanipatna around 11 pm and produced before the judicial magistrate first class court in Rayagada the next day.

Police charged both men with attempt to murder, rioting while armed with deadly weapons, dacoity, armed robbery and criminal intimidation. The judicial magistrate court refused bail and sent them to Rayagada sub jail. Because local courts are closed for Puja vacations, their bail appeal can be heard by the sessions court only after October 27.

“He has never held anything in his hands apart from a stethoscope in his life.”

The dispute concerns Vedanta Limited’s Sijimali bauxite block in Rayagada and Kalahandi districts, auctioned by the Odisha government in 2023. The 50-year lease covers 1,549 hectares, including roughly 699 to 708 hectares of forest land, and holds an estimated 311 million tonnes of high-grade bauxite across more than 44 villages.

Inspector General Akhileshwar Singh said the arrests were necessary to maintain law and order. He stated that at least four to five cases are pending against Sequeira, including complaints by two tribal women alleging he instigated them to make false allegations against the state government. Rayagada superintendent of police Raj Prasad said 16 cases are pending against Naik.

Anti-mining activists dismissed the allegations as laughable, saying Sequeira has provided free healthcare in remote tribal areas and has never held anything but a stethoscope. Protesters also demanded withdrawal of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026, which they say would weaken state control over mineral resources and reduce mining revenue for Odisha.