Communities in Odisha are protesting against JSW Utkal’s proposed steel complex in the Jagatsinghpur district, India. On 21 November 2021, during a public hearing, activists Goutam Das and Bikram Das and other human rights defenders objected to the presence of company officials at a public hearing to discuss the project. Later that day, local police registered complaints against them, alongside community leaders Manas Bardhan, Prabhat Biswal, Kuni Mallick, Shanti Sethy, Shanti Das, Latika Parida and nine other human rights defenders. Manas Bardhan was also injured during peaceful protests on December 4, 2021, and was later put in detention. Rights groups allege that some defenders have been subjected to physical assault, threats and harassment, and custodial torture. More than 70 HRDs have been implicated in false criminalisation.