Cuttack: The Sriram Maha Yajna Samiti can take out processions in Bhadrak town during the Ram Navami festivities on Sunday, said Orissa High Court in a fresh order.

The high court on Friday granted the interim stay order after the samiti had challenged an order issued by the single-judge bench on March 15 imposing ban on the procession.

The division bench of Chief Justice Vineet Saran and Justice B.R. Sarangi said: "We are of the opinion that the appellant (Sriram Maha Yajna Samiti) herein has made out a prima facie case for grant of interim protection."

"In the facts of the present case, the order of the writ court (high court) dated March 15, 2018 is stayed, and it is directed that the petitioner (Sriram Maha Yajna Samiti) shall be permitted to perform the rituals for the Shreeram Navami and take out the kalasa sovayatra and Shree Ram Navami procession in the same manner and through the same route as was permitted in 2017," the bench said in the interim order.

The court granted interim protection after advocate Pitambar Acharya appearing on behalf of the samiti contended that the March 15 order was based on wrong facts that there were communal riots at the time of processions in 2017, as a result of which 185 criminal cases were initiated, 13 persons died and 88 persons were injured.

Though there might have been riots in Bhadrak district sometimes after Ram Navami in 2017, but there was no communal tension during the procession.

More so, the figures of death and injured recorded in the Mach 15 order by the single-bench judge relate to an incident in 1991 and not 2017, Acharya contended.

Additional government advocate Savitri Ratho agreed to Acharya's contention.

Acharya had further contended that the restriction imposed by the Bhadrak district authorities on Ram Navami procession this year was highly unreasonable.